Celebrate peach season with this beautiful and DELICIOUS Summer Peach Panzanella Salad!! Toasted sourdough bread cubes, juicy peaches, ripe cherry tomatoes and fresh basil are tossed with an easy homemade rosé balsamic vinaigrette and served with creamy burrata cheese. A quintessential summer salad you will want to make all season long!
Why You Will Love This Panzanella Salad Recipe
- Summer on a plate! Peaches, tomatoes and basil are at the peak of their season right now. This is such a wonderful way to showcase the best summer produce on one plate.
- Foolproof! The salad is so easy to make and consist of 3 main parts. The bread cubes, vinaigrette and fresh components. It doesn't get any easier than that.
- Can be made ahead. The bread cubes can be made 1 to 2 day ahead and stored in an airtight container. The vinaigrette can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the fridge. Also, after dressing the salad, you can allow it to sit for up to 2 hours before serving, making it perfect for your next summer get-together.
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Freestone vs Clingstone Peaches
Did you know peaches are lumped into two categories; Clingstone and Freestone?
If you've ever had trouble removing the pit from a peach, chances are you picked up a clingstone peach. Clingstone simply refers to the pit "clinging" to the flesh, making it difficult to remove. I learned this the hard way as I was trying to prep some peaches to create a stop motion video for a client. 😅 I ended up cutting around the pit for the shoot and for this salad, so not all was lost! Clingstone peaches are generally smaller in size and readily available at the beginning of the season, which is May here in California.
Freestone, on the other hand, refers to the pit being "free" from the flesh, making them easier to prep. They are generally larger in size and available towards the middle and end of the season.
There you have it! The more you know, right? Haha!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about all the ingredients used. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!
Toasted Bread Cubes
- Crusty Bread - I'm using a sourdough loaf, but you can use any crusty bread. Ciabatta and French bread are great choices.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - Will help crisp up the bread.
- Italian Seasoning - Adds flavor. However, if you don't have any on hand, you can omit it.
- Salt - Adds Flavor.
Rosé Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - It's best to use a good quality and robust EVOO.
- Balsamic Vinegar - I'm using a rosé balsamic vinegar, but you can use any kind. White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar all work nicely.
- Honey - Adds a bit of sweetness.
- Dijon Mustard - For flavor and helps the dressing to emulsify.
- Salt + Black Pepper - To season.
Peach Panzanella
- Fresh Peaches - You can use yellow or white peaches. It's best to use peaches that are juuuust ripe. Overripe peaches will become too mushy.
- Fresh Tomatoes - I used a combination of cherry tomatoes on the vine and campari tomatoes, but you can use your favorite.
- Burrata Cheese - Adds creaminess.
- Fresh Basil Leaves - Adds flavor and freshness.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step By Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this Peach Panzanella Salad! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Make Toasted Bread Cubes - Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400ºF (205ºC). Cut bread loaf into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt, until evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Step 2. Make Vinaigrette - In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, rosé balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of your choice), honey, dijon, salt and pepper, until well combined.
Step 3. Assemble the Salad - In a large bowl or serving plate, toss together the toasted bread, sliced peaches and tomatoes with a generous amount of vinaigrette. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes to let the flavors absorb together. Top with burrata cheese, fresh basil and more vinaigrette if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Substitutions
- Toasted Bread Cubes - Feel free to use store bought croutons.
- Homemade Vinaigrette - Although homemade salad dressing is so easy to make, you can also use your favorite store bought vinaigrette.
- Burrata Cheese - You easily substitute for fresh mozzarella cheese, feta or goat cheese.
Variations
- Add Prosciutto - For a classic pairing, add prosciutto.
- Add other Veggies - You can change things up by adding cucumbers, red onion, grilled zucchini, fresh corn, bell pepper or avocado. You can also add bib lettuce, arugula or fresh spinach leaves.
- Gluten Free - Use gluten-free bread.
Storage
- This Peach Burrata Panzanella Salad is best consumed within 2 hours of dressing, however you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
Expert Tips
Toast your bread. Whether you are using fresh (baked the day of) or day-old bread, you'll want to toast it. Toasting creates a crunchy barrier that prevents the bread from becoming a mushy mess as it sits in the tomato juices and vinaigrette.
Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. After tossing the salad with vinaigrette, let it sit. The vinaigrette soaks into the bread cubes and the tomatoes release their juices and allows all the flavors to absorb.
Do not use overripe peaches. I don't recommend using overripe peaches as they will be too soft and mushy in the salad. You'll want to use peaches that are slightly soft, but still firm.
FAQ
Panzanella is a Tuscan bread salad in which cubes of soaked stale bread are combined with fresh tomatoes and onion and typically dressed with olive oil and vinegar.
Toasting bread isn't traditional, but I do recommend it for this recipe. Not only does it add crispy texture, it also prevents the bread from become too mushy as it sits in the vinaigrette.
Although you can enjoy this panzanella salad on it's own, you can also serve it as a side dish. It would be excellent with grilled meat, grilled shrimp, pan seared scallops, pizza and pasta.
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📖 Recipe
Peach Panzanella Salad
- Total Time: 40 Minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings or 4 Side Servings
Description
Celebrate peach season with this beautiful and DELICIOUS Summer Peach Panzanella Salad!! Toasted sourdough bread cubes, juicy peaches, ripe cherry tomatoes and fresh basil are tossed with an easy homemade rosé balsamic vinaigrette and served with creamy burrata cheese.
Ingredients
Toasted Bread Cubes
- ½ Loaf Crusty Bread like Sourdough, Ciabatta or French *see note below
- 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
Easy Vinaigrette
- ¼ Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Rosé Balsamic Vinegar **see note below
- 1 to 2 Garlic Cloves, grated or finely minced ***see note below
- 2 Teaspoons Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ¼ Tsp Salt & Black Pepper
Peach Panzanella Salad
- 3 Large Peaches, pitted and sliced
- 16 Cherry Tomatoes and 6 Campari Tomatoes, sliced
- 8 Ounces Burrata Cheese
- ½ Cup Fresh Basil
Instructions
- Make the Bread Cubes - Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400ºF (205ºC). Cut bread loaf into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Toss with extra-virgin olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt until evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted, flipping them halfway through. Allow to cool and set aside until needed.
- Make the Rosé Balsamic Vinaigrette - In a small bowl, add extra-virgin olive oil, rosé balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of choice), honey, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk well until combined. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Assemble Peach Panzanella Salad - To a large bowl or serving plate, toss together the toasted bread cubes, sliced peaches and sliced tomatoes with a generous amount of vinaigrette. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors absorb together. Top with burrata cheese, fresh basil and more vinaigrette if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*Bread Loaf - Bread loaves vary in size, so no worries about being exact. For reference, I had a 14.5 ounce sourdough loaf and used half of that (7 ounces | 205g).
**Vinegar - I'm using a rosé balsamic vinegar, but you can use kind. White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar will also work nicely.
***Garlic - We love garlic in our house, so we used 2 cloves. Garlic cloves vary in size, so you can start with one and add more if needed.
- Prep Time: 15
- Resting Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
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