Late Summer Panzanella
From the Kitchen
The garden is still giving generously. There are tomatoes and peppers tucked among the leaves, basil threatening to take over, and even a few cucumbers still appearing here and there. The onions have been harvested and tucked away for winter. And if there’s a loaf of bread going a little stale on the counter? Well, dinner has practically made itself.
I first discovered this panzanella in 2001, tucked inside Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Parties! It has been in my late-summer rotation ever since. I almost always serve it alongside her Grilled Herb Shrimp—preferably outside, while there is still enough evening light to linger over dinner.
It’s one of those meals that seems made for this particular moment of the season: a little bit abundant, a little bit unruly, and an excellent way to use what you already have.
Ingredients
- Adapted from Ina Garten’s Panzanella in Barefoot Contessa Parties! (2001).
- About 6 cups leftover bread, preferably a day or two old, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 English cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and sliced about ½-inch thick
- 2 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- About 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
- For the Vinaigrette:
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well to coat, then bake until golden and crisp, about 10–15 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the vinaigrette by whisking the garlic, Dijon mustard and champagne vinegar together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion, and basil in a large serving bowl. Add the toasted bread and vinaigrette, then toss everything together. You can serve it right away, but I prefer giving it about 30 minutes for the bread to soak up some of the dressing and all those lovely tomato juices.