• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

A Gouda Life

Simple ingredients, delicious results. Step by step recipes for the home cook.

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • APPETIZERS & BEVERAGES
    • SOUP
    • DINNER
      • Seafood
      • Chicken/Pork
      • Air Fryer
      • Mexican
      • Pasta Recipes
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grilled
    • SIDE DISHES
      • Potatoes
      • Rice/Risotto
      • Vegetables/Salads
    • DESSERTS
    • BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
  • About A Gouda Life
  • Recipe Index
  • Some Gouda Times

Dinner Vegetables/Salads

Spring Panzanella Salad

  • Share11
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes and other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Turns out stale bread isn’t just for feeding the birds. It’s actually just the kind of bread you need for panzanella salad including Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden toasted bread cubes, fresh seasonal vegetables and shaved parmesan cheese, flavored with an easy homemade vinaigrette.

The first time I tasted Ina Garten’s panzanella salad recipe was about 10 years ago at a book club meeting and I’ve made it many times since.  Ina’s recipe was a jumping point for this Spring Panzanella Salad. To bring a bright, spring flavor I added fresh asparagus and some artichokes, swapped out her French bread for a hearty multigrain for texture and even more flavor and shaved some parmesan cheese into the salad for zest.

Bread and cheese ~ whatever the question, it’s always the answer.
Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes + other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

I have no shame admitting the lightly toasted, golden cubes of bread are my favorite part of this salad. But a good amount of seasonal veggies, dressed in a homemade vinaigrette brings it all home. This salad goes halfsies with comfort and healthy.

I usually save panzanella salad for the height of our tomato season in August when I’m practically giving tomatoes away, but once the idea got into my head for a Spring Panzanella Salad, I couldn’t let it go. Fresh peas would be delicious in this recipe, too. Next time.

My neighbor loves this salad too so I usually pass a container of it along to her. She bakes really well and when I see her coming across the yard I know I’m in for a treat. Nobody loses around here.

Like many of my recipes, this one is easily customizable with your favorite vegetables or what’s in season. You can go heavier on the veggies, lighter on the bread if you like; fresh artichokes instead of canned. This salad is your oyster. So to speak.

Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes + other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Spring Panzanella Salad Ingredients:

  • 3 cups bread cubes cut 1″ each (multigrain used)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
  • Sea salt (to taste)
  • 6-8 stalks of asparagus, ends removed, cut in thirds
  • 10 large Basil leaves
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half 
  • 3 tablespoons capers drained
  • 14 ounce container artichoke hearts drained and quartered
  • 1 ½ cups English cucumber unpeeled, seeded and chopped ½” thick
  • ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup bell peppers chopped (red, yellow OR orange OR a combination)

Dressing:

  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Day old bread is recommended for panzanella salad, but we don’t usually have day old bread lying around our house. We eat what we want fresh and freeze what’s left.

Tip: To create ‘day old’ bread, cube fresh bread and spread it on a baking sheet on the counter for an hour or two. This also helps the bread toast easier (see more instructions below).

Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes + other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the bread into about 1” bite size cubes then spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the bread, season it with salt and garlic powder and gently toss until the bread is coated.

Bake the bread cubes 10-15 minutes or until they’re dried out and lightly browned, then cool completely.

Meanwhile, add a drizzle of olive oil to a large skillet and sauté the asparagus 2-4 minutes until they’re fork tender, without overcooking them then transfer them to a large bowl to cool (cooking time will vary a little depending upon the diameter of the stalks).

Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes + other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Add the dressing ingredients ~ grated garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to a Mason jar or other container with a good seal then shake it for a few seconds until it’s thoroughly blended.

Add the basil, tomatoes, capers, artichokes, cucumber, red onion and bell pepper to the bowl with the asparagus. Gently combine everything then fold in the bread cubes, give the dressing another good shake (you’ll see in the photos it separated in the jar) and pour it over the top, stirring until everything is coated.

Note: Last minute I found some pine nuts and decided to add them to the salad. They’re optional but add great texture.

Give it the salad a good seasoning of salt and pepper then cover and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving to help the flavors come together.

Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes + other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

I can easily make a meal out of just this salad but if you want to add protein, grilled shrimp or flank steak would be really delicious with it.

If you make this recipe, leave me a comment~ I’d love to hear from you because silence isn’t always golden ~ especially if there’s a toddler around ~ then silence can be suspicious.

While you’re at it LIKE ME on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW along on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST and SUBSCRIBE ⇓ for all the latest. 

Enjoy!

Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes + other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Spring Panzanella Salad ~ golden, toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes + other seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Spring Panzanella Salad

Golden toasted whole grain bread cubes, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes and lots of seasonal vegetables lightly dressed in an easy homemade red wine vinaigrette.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian Bread Salad, Panzanella Salad
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread cubes cut 1″ each multigrain used
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 6-8 stalks asparagus ends removed, cut in thirds
  • 10 large Basil leaves chopped
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
  • 3 tablespoons capers drained
  • 14 ounce container artichoke hearts drained and quartered
  • 1 ½ cups English cucumber unpeeled seeded and chopped ½” thick
  • ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup bell peppers chopped red, yellow OR orange OR a combination

Dressing:

  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • ½ cup pine nuts optional
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the bread into 1” cubes then spread them  out on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the bread, season with salt and garlic powder and gently toss.
  • Bake the bread cubes 10-15 minutes or until they’re dried out and lightly browned then cool completely.
  • Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and sauté the asparagus 2-4 minutes until they’re fork tender, without overcooking them then transfer them to a large bowl to cool. Note: cooking time will vary a little depending upon the diameter of the stalks.
  • Add the dressing ingredients ~ grated garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to a Mason jar or other sealable container then shake for a few seconds to combine.
  • In the large bowl with the asparagus add the basil, tomatoes, capers, artichokes, cucumber, red onion and bell pepper. Gently combine then fold in the bread cubes, give the dressing another good shake and pour it over the top, stirring until everything is coated.
  • Season the salad with salt and pepper then cover and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving. 
0

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg


4 Comments

Don’t miss any of this deliciousness!

Leave your email address below to get the NEW recipes sent directly to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Ground Beef Tacos
Next Post: Pickled Red Onions »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Clarence Girardin says

    February 14, 2020 at 8:16 am

    How’s it going, agoudalife?

    Want to be Instagram popular?

    If you are like me, you’ve scrolled through Instagram, wondering “how do so many darn people on Instagram get so famous”?

    Imagine: It’s the wee hours of the morning and you’ve promised yourself you’d go for a run today.

    Roll over, check your phone.

    Hit the Instragram App.

    Youare surprised at what you see: Over 832 likes on a single one of your pictures! There, you can see a a huge amount of likes on your pictures–over 832 on a single photo alone.

    You put your fuzzy slippers on and head to the kitchen for some coffee. After putting on the kettle, you pull out your phone again.

    Bam! Another 38 likes.

    Here comes another one. This time it is not a like but a message from one of your followers. They flatter you on your success and let you know they love waking up to your content.

    As you read it, you begin to smile. It is a amazingly hot person, and they love your posts.

    As you sip your tea, you start typing up your response. But then your cell buzzes.

    Hmmm, ANOTHER message. You close your cell and throw it in the bag. Time for the gym.
    Anyways, you get the point. This is the life of an Instagram celebrity. I should know, because I have made many of them.

    My job is to take people from Instagram nobody to Insta-celebrity. (It sounds stupid, but results don’t lie.)

    Now, what if you increased your popularity by 100%, or 1000%?

    It’s not complicated to do, although almost no one does. Just hit up our website. There, you’ll learn how to garner Instagram likes and followers like mad…effortlessly.

    Our super savvy, confidential service automatically sends likes to your pictures a few minutes after you’ve posted them.

    If you’re anything like our other clients, you’ll have a great chance of hitting the “Top Post” section in a very short time.

    Sound too good for reality? Here’s what you’ve got to do to get a taste:
    1. Click https://brightjam.club
    2. Put in your Instagram username.
    3. The three pictures you uploaded last will get 10 – 15 likes. Just like that.

    Being a regular staple on that page will accelerate your growth 10x, easy. But if you want the fame, you’ve got to reach for it. Are you ready?

    Happy image-uploading.

    Reply
  2. Christy says

    May 3, 2020 at 10:59 pm

    This salas is amazing! My new go to salad. Thank you

    Reply
    • Bernie says

      May 5, 2020 at 7:03 pm

      Thank YOU Christy! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and so glad you like it 🙂 It’s one of my favorites too — especially when I can grow or buy local tomatoes. Doesn’t get much better.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe




Primary Sidebar

Find a recipe!

Midwestern food-obsessed woman behind the apron who runs with scissors and talks to strangers. You’ll find recipes with simple ingredients and delicious results. I’m grateful every day for this blog and everyone who gives me a chance to live a dream I didn’t know I had. Click to read more

Footer

You might also like

closeup of air fryer pillsbury cinnamon rolls with icing on gray plate

Air Fryer Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

Muffin Tin Potato Stacks on black plate garnished with fresh thyme

Muffin Tin Potato Stacks

cranberry christmas margaritas in salt rimmed glasses garnished with fresh cranberries

Christmas Margaritas

black plate with sliced roast beef tenderloin and side of blue cheese sauce

Roast Beef Tenderloin

what to serve with clam chowder overhead view of clam chowder

What to Serve with Clam Chowder

Privacy Policy  •  Home

Copyright © 2023 · A Gouda Life - Customized by Brave Creative Design

848 shares