Sourdough Panzanella with Mozzarella Recipe

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This sourdough panzanella with mozzarella recipe is light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor in each bite! Toasted bread is mixed with juicy tomatoes, red onion, and fresh mozzarella, and tossed with a 5-minute vinaigrette.

A perfect recipe for leftover sourdough bread, this easy salad is great to enjoy all year long. This easy panzanella can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or a light lunch idea.

Want more summer salad recipes? Try our linguine pasta salad, fruit salad with honey lemon dressing, or our cucumber macaroni salad with dill!

fresh panzanella salad with mozzarella and sourdough bread in a bowl with red onions and a homemade garlic vinaigrette.

Table of Contents

There’s nothing better than a giant, sweet, juicy summer tomato that’s perfectly ripe! We have been getting the best tomatoes this summer, and I wanted to make one of my favorite dishes that highlights these perfect tomatoes (like our tomato basil quiche or caprese gnocchi!)

I recently had a delicious panzanella salad on a trip up to Canada, and wanted to recreate this fantastic dish at home. I toasted some leftover sourdough bread and tossed it with the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and red onions. The whole salad is topped with a simple vinaigrette that WOWs with it’s delicious flavor!

Why This Recipe Works

It’s light, refreshing, and and tangy!
Easy to make, this salad requires no cooking aside from toasting the bread. Cooks of any skill level can successfully recreate this dish.
It’s a great way to use up old or leftover sourdough bread.
Ready in just 15 minutes, this sourdough panzanella makes a great appetizer or summer side dish.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients for panzanella with sourdough bread like fresh summer tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, garlic, and olive oil.

Sourdough bread – use store-bought or make your own using our 1-week sourdough 101 starter guide!
Tomatoes – use the biggest, sweetest, juiciest tomatoes you can find. Really good ripe tomatoes are best for this recipe in the summer, or I like to use cherry tomatoes in the winter which can be sweeter than vine-ripened.
Red Onion – for a great flavor in this salad.
Fresh mozzarella cheese – I used ciliegine (small/medium sized mozzarella balls) packed in water, and halved them before adding them to the salad.
A quick and easy vinaigrette dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinaigrette, garlic, and a little Dijon mustard.

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Substitutions and Variations

You can use any kind of bread for this recipe, it doesn’t have to be sourdough. You can use French bread, whole grain, pumpernickle, or wheat. Just make sure you toast it up until crisp before adding it to the salad.
Swap the red onion for shallots or slices of sweet Vidalia onions instead.
You can use a store-bought Italian dressing for this recipe instead of making your own, but highly recommend you try the 5-minute dressing first!
Omit the cheese if desired, or substitute with burrata.

How To Make This Recipe

sliced sourdough bread is cubed with a bread knife on a counter for panzanella salad.

Step 1: Slice your sourdough bread into 1-inch slices, and cut it into cubes.

sourdough cubes tossed with olive oil in a baking dish to be broiled and toasted for panzanella salad.

Step 2: Toss the cubed sourdough with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and broil for 3-4 minutes until toasted and crunchy.

toasted sourdough croutons in a large bowl to make panzanella.

Step 3: Add the toasted sourdough to a large mizing bowl.

a large bowl with toasted sourdough, sliced red onion, parsley, and fresh mozzarella cheese.

Step 4: To the sourdough, add in the sliced red onions, mozzarella cheese, and fresh chopped parsley.

fresh tomatoes and sourdough bread salad to make a summer panzanella with sourdough croutons.

Step 5: Add the sliced tomatoes to the bowl.

garlic and dijon vinaigrette for homemade panzanella salad the perfect summer appetizer or lunch idea.

Step 6: Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or a mason jar, and stir well to combine. Pour the dressing over the sourdough panzanella, and toss well. Serve within 30 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

How long does panzanella last?

Panzanella salad is best fresh and when enjoyed with in 30 minutes of making. If you have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight containger in the refrigerator for up to 1 day after. However, the bread will become soggy once tossed with the dressing.

Can I make panzanella salad ahead of time?

If making this recipe ahead of time, toast the sourdough and keep it seperate from the other ingredients. You can make the vinaigrette, and add it to the tomato/red onions – but only add in the bread 30 minutes before serving to it can stay crunchy, and not get too soggy with the dressing.

What to serve with panzanella salad?

I like serving this sourdough panzanella recipe as an appetizer, a light summer lunch, or as a side dish with your favorite protein (especially anything off the grill or BBQ).

Pro Tips

When chopping the tomatoes and bread, make them roughly the same size. You want the pieces small enough to be bite-sized and consistent.
Fresh garlic in the dressing makes all the difference – use fresh whole cloves of garlic if you can (instead of jarred minced garlic).
Try different vinegars in the dressing instead of white wine vinegar to give the salad different flavors. Apple cider vinegar, balsamic, or champagne vinaigrette are all great options!

panzanella with sourdough bread and sliced tomatoes and onions with fresh herbs and a delicious garlic vinaigrette dressing.

Dietary Modifications

This recipe is vegetarian, and does not contain animal products. To make this vegan, be sure you are using a vegan sourdough bread, and substitute the mozzarella for a plant-based cheese instead.
To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free sourdough bread. Also be sure any salad dressing ingredients you are using are certified gluten free.

More Easy Summer Salad Ideas

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