Name: Peach Tomato Panzanella Salad
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 453 grams 1 pound tomatoes; 226 grams ½ pound peaches; 300 grams about ½ loaf sourdough bread, sliced into 1-inch cubes; 6 grams 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 7 grams ¼ cup fresh basil leaves; 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves; 28 grams 2 tablespoons olive oil; 14 grams 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 1 small shallot (finely diced); 10 grams ¼ cup parsley, tender leaves roughly chopped; Pepper to taste; 

Juicy tomatoes and peaches shine in this Peach Panzanella Salad. Toasted pieces of sourdough cubes soak up a fresh tomato herb vinaigrette. This is my favorite way to use up my leftover sourdough bread.

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Panzanella on serving plate with two small plates with panzanella salad

The perfect way to use up day-old sourdough bread

If you’re an obsessive bread maker like me (if you’re here, you probably are), you end up with more than you know what to do with. This bread salad is a great way to use up leftover bread that’s not toast or sandwiches. Day-old bread is best as it is able to soak up the vinaigrette better and toasting will ensure your salad does not get overly soggy.

Garden fresh ingredients

This salad is my love letter to late summer produce. In Arizona, we get beautiful locally-grown peaches, they are sweet, flavorful and juicy and only available in late July to August. These along with garden fresh tomatoes intensify the flavors in this salad. Seasonal produce is really the star of this dish, but it works great year round. If you don’t have locally grown peaches or your own home-grown tomatoes, plums or nectarines and heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes from the grocery store are great alternatives.

Summertime is the ideal time to enjoy this salad but it's great year round!

Panzanella salad with tomatoes and peaches on a plate — These WÜSTHOF knives are my new favorites! They make quick work of all the chopping involved in this salad.

What you need

Ingredients

Sourdough bread - Day old bread works best for soaking up the tomato vinaigrette.
Fresh tomatoes - The star of the show, use garden-fresh tomatoes if you have them or purchase them from your farmer’s market for the best results. Otherwise use heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes since they have the most flavor.
Peaches - Adds a burst of sweetness to the salad. Use plums or nectarines as an alternative.
Salt and pepper - Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
Basil - Adds freshness to the herb tomato vinaigrette.
Mint - Adds brightness to the herb tomato vinaigrette.
Red wine vinegar - Adds acidity
Olive oil - Thickens the vinaigrette and prevents your bread from becoming soggy.
Garlic - Raw garlic has a peppery spiciness that adds an intense savory flavor of this otherwise sweet salad.
Shallot - Adds a mild onion flavor with a milder flavor.
Parsley - Imparts freshness to the salad.
Burrata (optional) - Adds a lovely creaminess to this salad. Optional but highly recommended.

Tomatoes, peaches, herbs, and sourdough bread for panzanella

Step-by-step instructions

Toast bread cubes in an oven set to 325 F for 15 minutes.
Place tomato slices on a strainer set over a mixing bowl. Toss tomatoes in salt and let stand for 15 minutes.
Using a food processor or a mortar and pestle, process the garlic, salt, basil and mint into a paste. Stream olive oil in until fully emulsified.
Using a food processor or a mortar and pestle, process the garlic, salt, basil and mint into a paste. Stream olive oil in until fully emulsified.
Add herb paste, shallots, parsley and red wine vinegar into tomato juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss bread cubes in tomato herb vinaigrette.
Add in tomatoes and peaches into soaked bread cubes.
Serve with burrata drizzled with olive oil and fresh ground pepper.