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grilled panzanella salad in a wooden bowl with a serving spoon
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Grilled Panzanella Salad

A healthy and light summer dish with grilled veggies and bread, fresh tomatoes and herbs, mozzarella, and red wine vinaigrette.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 416kcal

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 2 bell peppers stem and seeds removed; cut into 1-inch squares
  • 1 red onion peeled and trimmed; cut into 1-inch squares
  • 2 large slices Italian bread use 4 slices if loaf is small; can sub sourdough
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • Olive oil for brushing
  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes halved
  • ¼ cup fresh basil roughly torn
  • 8 ounces mozzarella balls also known as ciliegine

For the dressing

Instructions

  • Preheat the grill to medium heat. While the grill is heating, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallot, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside to let the flavors meld while you prepare the rest of the salad.
  • Toss the bell peppers and red onion in some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper if desired. Place the veggies on the grill or on a grill mat (highly recommend), cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, rotating as needed to promote even charring. In a small bowl, mix together some olive oil with the minced garlic. Brush this on both sides of each slice of bread. Place the bread directly on the grill or on a grill mat, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until toasted. Remove the veggies and bread from the grill.
  • Cut the bread into cubes, and combine the bread, grilled veggies, raw tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella balls in a large mixing bowl. Toss the salad in the dressing until well coated. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • This salad is best served right away or shortly after preparing. However, you can prepare the dressing and grilled veggies and bread in advance to save time. Just wait to assemble the full salad until you're ready to eat.
  • If you do not have veggie mats, I recommend cutting the peppers into two or three large pieces and the onion into large rings instead of 1-inch squares. This will help prevent them from slipping through the grill racks. After they're finished cooking, slice them into smaller pieces for the salad.
  • You can also roast the peppers and onion in the oven. Toss in olive oil, spread out on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2657IU | Vitamin C: 107mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 2mg