Awesome Panzanella Salad Recipe (Paleo)!

Panzanella Salad Recipe is a favorite that gets made all summer long!  This Paleo version is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and vegan.  Made with farm fresh vegetables, it is beyond delicious!

Wait, what about the bread?  Don’t worry, we’ve got a plan!

Classic Panzanella Salad is also called Tuscan Tomato and Bread Salad since it was originally from the Tuscany area of Italy as a way to use up stale bread (clever!). This Paleo version departs a little from the Traditional Panzanella Salad by using my eggless waffle recipe to replace the bread.

Later in the post, I’ll show you exactly how it makes a delicious stand-in for bread!

The first time I heard of Panzanella Salad was via Barefoot Contessa, which this recipe is based on.

Ingredients For Panzanella Salad Recipe:

• Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Croutons
• Basil
• Other – red onion, peppers,
• Salad dressing

How To Make The Paleo “Croutons”:

1. Make a batch of my Eggless Waffle Recipe.  (This is my favorite waffle iron.)
2. Take one waffle and cut it into cubes.
3. In a bowl, add one tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of your favorite herbs (or leave herbs out).
4. Toss the waffles cubes with the olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper.
5. Add to cast iron skillet, cook and toast for several minutes until slightly brown and crunchy (like croutons!).
6. Add to the Panzanella Salad, pour over some Paleo dressing and enjoy!  (The croutons are amazing with the dressing!)

Paleo croutons toasting in cast iron skillet.

Farm fresh vegetables!

Making Your Panzanella Salad Recipe:

1. Wash and dry all the vegetables.
2. Chop the lettuce
3. Slice cucumber lengthwise, remove seeds and cut into pieces.
4. Cut top off the pepper, remove seeds and cut into pieces.
5. Chop basil leaves.
6. Remove the skin of the red onion, and cut into pieces.  I cut into rings, you can also cut into small pieces.
7. Toss the ingredients in a large bowl.  (as shown below)

This is really a cinch to make, so fresh and delicious.  It is completely customizable; replace or add the veggies you like.  Next time, I might substitute chopped zucchini for the cucumber.

What To Serve With Panzanella Salad:

Panzanella is great as a main meal, but here are some great accompaniment options:

• Roast chicken (try my easy baked chicken breasts)
• Grilled chicken (as made in the Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad recipe)
• Orange Glazed Salmon
• Sauteed Skillet Salmon with Vegetables
•  

Making The Salad Dressing:

Tip:  The dressing comes together easily, but I would recommend combining salad and dressing just before serving.

Ingredients:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Dijon mustard
• White wine vinegar
• Sea salt
• Ground pepper

Add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk for a minute until completely combined.  Alternatively, you could place all ingredients in a small food processor and whizz for 30 seconds to combine.

Related:  Paleo Salad Dressing,  Kale Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon Dressing,  Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad,

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Awesome Panzanella Salad Recipe (Paleo)!

Prep Time

20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Enjoy this amazingly delicious Panzanella salad recipe with a freshly made Paleo dressing all summer long!  Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and vegan!

Course: Appetizer, Bread, dressing/sauce, Entree, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 3

Calories: 402 kcal

Author: Christine Galvani

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 crispy waffle, cut into cubes (recipe on my site)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried herbs
• 1/2 cucumber (seeded and sliced into cubes)
• 1/2 slice yellow pepper (cut into small cubes)
• 1 slice red onion
• 10 leaves basil (chopped)
• 2 cups chopped lettuce of your choice
• 2 tomatoes, large
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet (or another skillet), on medium-low.  Add the cubed waffles pieces and saute until toasted, about 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

2. In a small bowl, whisk, the minced garlic, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper (last six ingredients).  This is the Paleo salad dressing.

3. In a large bowl, add all the chopped vegetables, basil, lettuce, "croutons".  Pour over the dressing and stir to mix.

4. Best served at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

*Please note:  the nutrition facts label is only for salad and not for waffle which is used for croutons.  For the waffle nutrition label, go to that post to view.  

*Cherry tomatoes are also delicious in the recipe, especially if regular tomatoes are not available.

Nutrition Facts

Awesome Panzanella Salad Recipe (Paleo)!

Amount Per Serving

Calories 402 Calories from Fat 369

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 41g 63%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Sodium 796mg 33%

Potassium 342mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 4g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 21%

Vitamin C 18.7%

Calcium 2.8%

Iron 4.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post was updated:  August 3, 2018