Panzanella Toscana with Grilled Chicken (35 Min)

Name: Panzanella Toscana with Grilled Chicken (35 Minutes)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken thighs or breasts (boneless, skinless); 2 teaspoon olive oil ((or mayonnaise)); salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme (to sprinkle on chicken); 4 ounce crusty bread, cut lengthwise into wedges or slices (or Tuscan bread, ciabatta, baguette, multigrain); oil spray ((or 2 tsp olive oil)); salt, black pepper, garlic powder; 1 cup tomatoes, cut into 1 inch/2.5cm pieces ((or cut cherry tomatoes in half)); 1 cup cucumbers, peeled, seeded (if needed) and sliced 1/4 inch/0.6 cm; 1 red pepper, cut in 5-6 pieces, seeds removed; 3 green onions, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or shredded basil leaves ((or other herbs)); 1/2 cup bocconcini or mozzarella, torn into pieces (optional); 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 small clove); 1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ((or white or red wine vinegar or lemon juice)); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste); 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ( or more to taste)

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5 from 12 votes

We’re grilling crusty bread, chicken and peppers for this Panzanella Toscana. Then tossing them with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, herbs and a zesty dressing to create a beautiful and delicious bread salad.

The ‘Toscana’ part of the dish’s name refers to the Tuscan origins of the dish. A traditional Italian Panzanella is a simple rustic bread salad made with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and stale Tuscan bread.

Although stale, leftover bread is traditional, you can get a pretty similar (or better) taste and texture with grilled or toasted bread. That’s what we’re using in this recipe.

Adding grilled chicken turns the Panzanella Toscana salad into a full meal. Make it your own by experimenting with the flavors, dressings and ingredients you love. It’s a great way to use up your fresh garden veggies and herbs.

Panzanella Toscana makes a wonderful lunch, dinner, potluck dish or side dish (without the chicken). Perfect for any spring or summer meal.

No outdoor grill? Need a vegetarian or dairy-free version? Need shortcuts? Read on. We’ve got these covered.

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

chicken, tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers, green onions, parsley, seasonings, bocconcini, baguette, vinaigrette, oil

Here are the main ingredients and a few suggestions for substitutions and variations you can try. But don’t be limited by this list – use whatever you like.

Bread

A rustic Italian Tuscan loaf is traditional. I use a multigrain artisan bread, a French baguette or ciabatta (I love olive ciabatta!).
Slightly stale bread and toasting or grilling the bread is the best way to make sure the bread absorbs the dressing and doesn’t get too soft.
Don’t use a regular soft fresh bread because it will become too mushy.

Tomatoes: Summer peak-season ripe tomatoes are ideal. If not in season, choose good cherry tomatoes, heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes. I love to use different colored tomatoes in the salad.

Vegetable and fruit options

In addition to tomatoes, I like to include cucumbers and green onions. Other good fresh vegetables you can try are roasted beets, cooked green beans, radishes, grilled zucchini and/or red onions.
Fruits add a wonderful sweetness and juiciness to a Panzanella salad. Try peaches (or grilled peaches), grapes, nectarines, pineapple, mango or pears.

Chicken: Use dark or white boneless chicken. You can, of course, skip the chicken if you want a vegetarian main dish or a side salad.

Vinaigrette dressing

The dressing is a key flavor booster. The traditional bread salad dressing is basically olive oil and red wine vinegar. I use a simple vinaigrette that often includes good-quality balsamic vinegar, garlic and Dijon.
Other good options are a Japanese Salad Dressing for an Asian twist, an Apple Cider dressing or Champagne Vinaigrette.

Garnish and add-ins – all optional

Fresh basil leaves are traditional. You can substitute other fresh herbs like thyme, chives, parsley, dill or tarragon.
For an Italian flavor profile, use oregano, feta, capers, sundried tomatoes and/or olives.
Other add-ins: lemon zest, nuts, torn Mozzarella or Bocconcini.

Dietary choices

Replace the chicken with cubed tofu (or more veggies) for a vegetarian version.
For a dairy-free version, omit the cheese.

Step-by-step instructions

chicken, bread, peppers on grill — Brush oil on chicken, bread and peppers. Season. Grill on medium-high. Chicken will take about 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness.

chopped salad ingredients, bread, chicken on cutting board — Cut vegetables, chicken and bread into bite-size pieces.

dressing pouring onto panzanella in bowl — Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Place tomatoes and other salad ingredients with the chicken in a bowl. Pour dressing on Panzanella Toscana and toss together.

panzanella tuscana salad with grilled chicken in white bowl. — Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer to a serving bowl if desired and add garnish like lemon zest, nuts, basil, and parsley.

Tips

Panzanella salad is best eaten in the summer when tomatoes and other vegetables are at their peak. Juicy, super-ripe tomatoes are amazing in a bread salad if you can get your hands on them.

Make sure you use crusty bread that will not turn soggy even when soaked in juices. Day-old bread helps. I prefer toasting or grilling. Yes, the bread cubes will get a bit soggy, but they still maintain some bite. If you really don’t like soggy bread, toss the Panzanella salad with the dressing just before serving.

To avoid a watery salad, give the tomatoes a quick squeeze over the sink if they are particularly juicy before adding them to the salad. If using a regular cucumber, remove the seeds or use Japanese or English cucumbers.

Shortcuts

Use a good quality bottled vinaigrette dressing. I don’t recommend creamy dressings.
Buy and cut up a rotisserie chicken instead of grilling chicken.

What to serve with Panzanella Toscana

If you are including the chicken, you can certainly serve it on its own. Or perhaps with a nice chilled soup like sweet corn soup with herbs or a simple gazpacho – for a great summer combo.

If you are preparing the Panzanella Toscana as a side dish, skip the chicken and serve it with lemon garlic herb chicken, grilled marinated flank steak or roasted salmon stuffed with herbs.

You can serve the salad partially warm – with the chicken hot off the grill – or at room temperature or chilled.

Make Ahead

The Panzanella salad recipe can be made 1-2 hours ahead and left at room temperature to develop the flavors.
If you want less soggy bread cubes, make everything ahead but add the dressing just before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for no more than one day (they will be soggy but still tasty). The fridge is not a Panzanella’s friend, but some of us still love next-day leftovers straight out of the container, standing over the counter :).

Recipe FAQs

Why is my Panzanella Toscana soggy?

There are a few reasons for a soggy Panzanella: too much dressing, using bread that is too soft (a heartier, sturdier toasted bread is best), and too much liquid released from juicy vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers.

Is this recipe for Panzanella Toscana with chicken healthy?

Yes, the Panzanella Toscana recipe with chicken has good health benefits. It’s a full meal with a good amount of protein, fiber, vitamin A and iron. And it’s under 500 calories per serving.

How can I reduce the liquid from juicy tomatoes?

If your tomatoes are super juicy, cut them up, sprinkle on kosher and let them sit for 10-15 minutes to extract the juices. Then drain the tomatoes.