Heirloom Caprese Panzanella Salad – The Speckled Palate

Cool off with this refreshing Heirloom Caprese Panzanella Salad. Light, simple and quick to make, this combination of tomatoes and mozzarella is a summertime winner!

2024 Update: This recipe was originally shared in August 2014. The recipe and post include new photos, as well as many more tips and tricks. I hope you love it!

Heirloom Caprese Panzanella Salad Recipe:

Real talk, y’all: Me and tomatoes haven’t always gotten along. In fact, sometimes, we still don’t. I am that person who generally likes all the tomato products EXCEPT for fresh tomatoes.

However, something changed when I found a local farm offering shares to the public back when we moved to Texas in 2012.

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This farm was responsible for both of us trying and cooking several vegetables that we had never tried before OR vegetables that we thought we disliked before we had one that was locally grown and fresh from the farm. And their tomatoes? Are out of this world sweet and delicious and juicy.

To showcase the best of summer tomatoes, you need a really good heirloom tomato recipe. This one is the marriage of two recipes I have always admired — caprese salad and panzanella, AKA a Tuscan bread salad recipe.

This Heirloom Caprese Panzanella recipe celebrates the late summer bounty of tomatoes and basil. It is slightly sweet, incredibly savory and has a delightful crunch from the bread. It’s all my favorite textures in one bowl — I may or may not be drooling a little while thinking about this!

You can use whatever tomatoes are freshest… I just have a penchant for using heirloom tomatoes in the summertime because they’re colorful and beautiful. My husband’s boss brought us tomatoes for the ones in these photos, and they were amazing, sweet and absolute perfection. 

Why I love this recipe:

Heirloom Caprese Panzanella Salad is the ultimate summer side dish. It combines crusty bread with ripe tomatoes, creamy cheese, fragrant fresh basil and a delicious vinaigrette that brings them all together. 

Here are some things I particularly adore about this easy panzanella salad:

• This is so wonderfully summery and delicious. It’s a great way to use a ton of tomatoes if you’ve got them on hand.
• This recipe is also a winner for a crowd, which makes it a perfect dish to bring to a summer barbecue. Sure, it’s not traditional, but if it tastes good, who really cares about sticking to tradition?
• Even if you’re not the biggest raw tomato fan, this heirloom caprese panzanella salad is excellent summertime fare because it brings a lot of other flavors and textures into the mix!

More side salad recipes to try: Rotisserie Chicken Salad | Cucumber Salad with Feta Vinaigrette | Summer Fruit Salad | No Mayo Potato Salad

Panzanella salad vs. Caprese salad

On their own, caprese salad and panzanella salad are two very different dishes. While both are classic Italian dishes with olive oil and vinegar, their base ingredients differ a lot. 

Caprese Salad features fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. It’s dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and usually served as an appetizer. 

Panzanella, on the other hand, is a hearty salad made with stale bread, tomatoes and vegetables, then tossed with olive oil and vinegar.

What you need to make this recipe:

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Here are the simple ingredients that you’ll need:

• Rustic bread — anything with a crunchy crust and soft interior is good for this recipe. Hearty bread is what we want to make the croutons. So sourdough bread, Italian bread (like ciabatta bread) or French bread would all work nicely. It’s okay if it’s a day old or a little stale, too. 
• Extra virgin olive oil — you can also use any neutral-tasting oil, like avocado oil. 
• Salt and pepper — these are a must for any recipe! We like kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper. 
• Heirloom tomatoes — You can use bigger heirloom tomatoes cut into small half-wedges. You can also use grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or other bite-sized tomatoes. The key is using super fresh tomatoes and if they’re bigger than bite-sized, cutting them into bite-sized pieces.
• Balsamic vinegar — you can experiment with flavored balsamic vinegars or go for the classic.
• Fresh mozzarella pearls — these are small, bite-sized mozzarella balls. They are sometimes labeled “Bocconcini.” If you can’t find the small pearls, a big ball cut into small pieces will work fine. 
• Garlic cloves — fresh is best here! But if you need a shortcut, the minced garlic in the jar works in a pinch.
• Fresh basil leaves — fresh basil and tomatoes just sing when put together! You can use green or purple basil. I prefer the classic Genovese basil, but Thai basil can add a bit of spice. If you need to, use ¼ cup dried, and add more if necessary. 

Customizations and substitutions

Experiment with flavors: Add other ingredients like red onion, crisp cucumbers, sweet corn, olives, bell peppers or capers. 

Change the cheese: Experiment with different types of cheese, like feta or goat cheese, instead of mozzarella, if you like. 

Make it vegan / dairy-free: This recipe is almost vegan and dairy-free. You’ll need to skip the mozzarella or replace it with a mozzarella cheese substitute.

How to make Heirloom Caprese Panzanella Salad

This recipe comes together in one amazing dish. Here’s what to do:

First, preheat your oven to 400°F. 

Cube the rustic bread and toss it in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.

Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and toasted. 

These are essentially homemade croutons. Let them cool.

In another bowl, combine the tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mozzarella, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

Toss them together, then marinate for at least 10 minutes. This is essentially a simple vinaigrette.

Toss in 3/4 cup of chopped fresh basil, as well as the toasted bread cubes. Gently toss them with the tomato mixture.

Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Garnish with the remaining basil before serving immediately.

How to store:

Warning!!! This recipe does not store well or keep for leftovers AT ALL. You cannot make the whole thing ahead of time, either. The bread turns to mush. And no one likes soggy bread!

However, it keeps amazingly well in the fridge, IF you keep the salad and the croutons separate until you’re ready to serve them.

I do love doing this because the juicy summer tomatoes just get juicier, and the mozzarella soaks up some of the juice and the basil is still so fresh.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

• For the best texture, use day-old or slightly stale bread. Make sure to coat the bread cubes thoroughly with olive oil, salt and pepper. This ensures they are flavorful and crisp.
• To keep the croutons crunchy, add them to the salad right before serving. This will prevent them from becoming too soggy.
• For the best texture and flavor, serve the salad at room temperature. If it’s been chilled, let it sit out for a bit before serving, as the oil can congeal and change the texture of the salad.
• Top the salad with the remaining fresh basil leaves right before serving to keep them vibrant and aromatic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks to making the best Heirloom Caprese Panzanella Salad

• Depending on the bread you use, you might need to toast it for longer because, holy cow, the bread will get soft in the dressing and tomato juices.
• Use whatever tomatoes are freshest for this! It’s okay if the tomatoes are starting to go bad. Cut out any bad parts, of course, but tomatoes are the most delicious at their ripest.  
• Allow the tomato mixture to marinate for at least 10 minutes to enhance the flavors. This also helps the bread absorb the dressing and juices.

More summer recipes

Here’s how we make it…