What Happens When You Combine A Panzanella Salad With A Caprese Salad?
A Caprese-Panzanella salad is a delightful fusion of two classic Italian dishes, combining the fresh simplicity of a Caprese salad with the hearty, rustic charm of a Panzanella. This recipe brings together juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil, the hallmark ingredients of a traditional caprese, with toasted chunks of crusty bread and vibrant vegetables that define a Panzanella. The result is a flavorful, texturally rich dish that celebrates the best of both worlds.
Perfect for summer gatherings or as a refreshing side dish, this salad offers a medley of bright, savory, and tangy flavors. The sweetness of ripe tomatoes pairs beautifully with the creaminess of mozzarella, while adding cucumber, red onions, and olives adds depth and crunch. Tossed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette and a touch of olive oil, the toasted bread soaks up all the delicious juices, making each bite irresistibly satisfying.
This Caprese-Panzanella hybrid is visually stunning and incredibly versatile, making it a great option for a casual lunch, a picnic, or even a light dinner. Whether you’re a fan of traditional Italian flavors or just looking for a new twist on a favorite, this salad will not disappoint!
Caprese Salad
A classic Caprese salad is a simple yet exquisite dish that celebrates the fresh flavors of Italy. Composed of just a few key ingredients, it showcases the essence of Mediterranean cuisine in every bite.
At its heart lies ripe, juicy tomatoes, sliced to reveal their vibrant red hue and juicy flesh. These tomatoes serve as the salad’s foundation, providing a burst of tangy sweetness that forms the backbone of the dish. Layered between the slices of tomato is creamy mozzarella cheese, soft and yielding with a subtle milky flavor that perfectly complements the tomatoes.
To add an aromatic touch, fresh basil leaves are scattered atop the salad, their fragrance infusing each bite with a burst of herbal goodness. The basil adds a vibrant green color and enhances the flavor profile with its earthy, slightly peppery notes.
Drizzled with a balsamic vinegar glaze and extra virgin olive oil, the Caprese salad is elevated to new heights. Each ingredient harmonizes to create a symphony of simple and sublime flavors. With its refreshing taste and vibrant colors, the Caprese salad is a timeless classic that never fails to delight the senses.
Panzanella Salad
Panzanella salad is a rustic and hearty Italian dish that celebrates the simplicity of Tuscan cuisine. At its core, Panzanella is a bread salad, using stale bread to create a satisfying and flavorful meal.
The star ingredient of Panzanella is the bread, which is typically cubed or torn into bite-sized pieces and toasted until golden brown. These bread cubes serve as the salad’s foundation, providing a crunchy texture and absorbing the flavorful juices of the other ingredients.
Panzanella is typically loaded with a colorful array of fresh vegetables to complement the bread. Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, and pungent red onions come together to create a vibrant medley of flavors and textures. These vegetables add brightness and freshness to the salad, making it a perfect dish for the warmer months.
A simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and herbs ties everything together, enhancing the ingredients’ natural flavors without overwhelming them. The dressing also helps to soften the bread slightly, allowing it to soak up the delicious juices and become even more flavorful.
The beauty of Panzanella lies in its versatility – it can be customized to include whatever vegetables are in season, making it a perfect showcase for the freshest produce. Whether served as a side dish or enjoyed as a light meal on its own, Panzanella is a delicious and satisfying dish that captures the essence of Italian countryside cuisine.
Fresh Mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella, also known as “mozzarella di bufala” or “buffalo mozzarella,” is a soft, creamy cheese that hails from Italy. Made from the milk of water buffaloes or cows, this cheese is renowned for its delicate flavor and luxurious texture.
What sets fresh mozzarella apart is its purity and simplicity. It uses just a few basic ingredients: milk, rennet (a coagulating enzyme), and salt. The result is an incredibly fresh and moist cheese with a subtle sweetness and milky flavor that is unmatched by its aged counterparts.
One of the defining characteristics of fresh mozzarella is its soft, elastic texture. It releases a milky whey when cut, indicating its freshness and high moisture content. This softness gives fresh mozzarella a melt-in-your-mouth quality that is incredibly satisfying to eat.
Fresh mozzarella is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in various ways. It is a key ingredient in classic Italian dishes such as Caprese salad, where it pairs perfectly with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It also melts beautifully on top of pizzas and sandwiches, adding a creamy richness to every bite.
Whether enjoyed on its own or incorporated into a dish, fresh mozzarella is a true culinary delight that embodies the essence of Italian craftsmanship and tradition.
Caprese and Panzanella Salad Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups French or Italian bread roughly cut into small pieces
- 1 olive olive extra virgin + 4 tablespoons
- 1 cup pistachios roasted and shelled, roughly chopped
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ pounds heirloom tomatoes cut into wedges
- 1 ripe peach cut into wedges
- 2 ripe plums cut into wedges
- 10 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 8 basil leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 375º F to make the croutons.
- Toss the bread with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, spread them out on a baking tray in one layer and bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Reserve.
- To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, honey, pistachios and the remainder of the olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk together to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
- In another bowl, add the tomatoes, peach and plum wedges and toss together.
- Plate - Divide the mozzarella slices on salad plates and season with salt & pepper.
- Add the fruit mixture on top of the cheese and then drizzle the dressing on top.
- Garnish with the chopped basil and croutons and serve immediately.
5 Responses
Loving the sound of this, and I especially like the pistachio addition in the dressing. Yum!
Let me know what you think after you give it a try Chef Jenni. I think you’re going to enjoy it.
I love your addition of pistachios along with the peach and plums. This is going to be great…if I can, actually, find good tomatoes!
We are so spoiled with tomatoes here in the Philly area. We grow our own, get them from neighbors and find them at all the farmer’s markets. I hope you enjoy the salad.
This looks like a fantastic salads. I’ll definitely be trying this soon!That is delicious looks like very nice one pot meal.