This ultimate Fall salad is made with crispy olive oil soaked French bread, sweet butternut squash, apples, and dried cranberries, balanced with fresh arugula, kale, and pecans. You’ll be sure to love this plant-powered salad and how simple it is to make.
What is Panzanella?
Panzanella salads may be thought of as a summer staple and not much as a fall favorite. Traditionally, Panzanella is an Italian bread salad made with onions, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, vinegar and seasonings and chunks of bread. The magic of the salad is really in the bread because it soaks up all dressing and juices from the vegetables, and turns into this incredible crunchy yet soft goodness. But who said we can’t eat Panzanella salads in the fall?! I really enjoy making and eating this salad because it’s hassle-free, easy to make and proof that salads aren’t boring! The dressing ties the whole salad together with its to.die.for taste – it has a little sweetness from the honey and brightness from the lemon. Get ready for a new fall favorite!
This Panzanella salad is:
Better than summer salads because apples 🙂 Full of fresh and vibrant fall flavors Healthy and nutritious, packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals. An easy salad to liven up your weeknight dinner Perfect for lunch, dinner, side dish or a snack!
Some other salads you will love are my Caesar Pasta Salad, Kale Blueberry Salad, and Strawberry Poppyseed Salad!
For the salad:
Day old French bread (bite sized cubes) Butternut Squash ( 1-1/2 inch cubes) Olive oil Arugula Kale Honeycrisp or Fuji Apple Roasted Almonds, pecans or Pepitas Goat cheese or Feta Dried Cranberries
For the dressing
Olive oil Lemon Juice Sherry Vinegar Honey Dijon Shallots Salt & Pepper
Toast the bread. This only takes ~15 minutes, we don’t want to make croutons! Roast the butternut squash. Massage the kale. Let rest. Make the dressing. Toss the arugula, kale, apples, pecans, feta, dried cranberries, butternut squash and bread together in a large bowl. Serve with dressing on the side or toss dressing in the salad if serving immediately.
Can I Prep Panzanella in Advance?
Yes! You can toast the bread and butternut squash in advance to speed up the salad making process when you’re ready to make it. Also, make the dressing ahead of time if you’d like too! I wouldn’t pour the dressing over the salad because it may get soggy.
Tips for Making Italian Bread Salad
Toast the bread in the oven for ~10 minutes. We want it toasted, and not hard like croutons. Let the Panzanella salad sit for a bit (15-20 minutes) before serving so that the flavors meld and for the bread to soak up a good bit of the dressing before completely melting into the salad. Use FRESH leafy greens, apples and squash for a fresh taste. Using at-least day-old bread or stale bread is the best bread. It’s key for Panzanella salads. Remember that it’s all about textures. Don’t let the bread soak too long that it disintegrates.
