Greek Panzanella Salad Recipe | Two Peas & Their Pod

Greek Panzanella Salad made with cubes of crusty bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, peppers, olives, red onion, feta cheese, and a simple Greek salad dressing.

We have been eating salads every single day this summer. We can’t get enough. The only problem? Our boys aren’t crazy about salads yet. They call salad “mommy food.” Josh eats lots of salad too, but for some reason, they associate salads with mommy:)

Anyways, last week I made a Greek Panzanella Salad that they loved. At first, they were hesitant because it was a salad, but after one bite, they were ALL in. They couldn’t believe I made a BREAD salad. They said it was the best salad ever:)

I have to agree with them, this bread salad is pretty awesome. I mean, come on, a salad that starts with toasted bread cubes HAS to be good. But wait, it gets even better because this panzanella salad is also loaded with Greek flavors and you all know I am a sucker for Greek everything.

The traditional panzanella salad is Italian, but I LOVE this Greek version. This crusty bread salad is made with:

• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• artichokes
• chickpeas
• kalamata olives
• bell peppers
• red onion
• feta cheese
• basil

Oh, and a rocking Greek salad dressing that is so easy to make! Toss everything together in one giant bowl and you are in salad heaven. You won’t miss the greens, just ask my boys:) Hey, don’t worry, there are still plenty of vegetables involved!

Tips for making Panzanella Salad:

• Use hearty, crusty bread for this salad, so the bread doesn’t get soggy. Ciabatta or French bread are great options.
• Day old bread is preferred because it will already be dried out a little. If you don’t have day old bread, you can cut the bread into cubes and toast them in the oven. See recipe below.
• I like to use grape or cherry tomatoes for the salad, but you can use chopped tomatoes too. This is a great salad for using up summer tomatoes.
• Toss all of the ingredients together, including the dressing, and let the salad sit for 30 minutes so the bread can soften. You don’t want the bread to be soggy, but you do want the bread to soften a bit. Letting the salad sit will also let the flavors mingle.
• This salad is best served the day it is made.

If you like this Greek Panzanella Salad, you might also like:

Greek Panzanella Salad

Greek Panzanella Salad made with cubes of crusty bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, peppers, olives, red onion, feta cheese, and a simple Greek salad dressing. This easy salad is a summer favorite!

Yield: Serves 8-10

Prep Time:20 minutes

Cook Time:10 minutes

Total Time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 1 loaf Ciabatta or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (8-9 cups)
• 1 cup halved red grape tomatoes
• 1 cup halved yellow grape tomatoes
• 1 seedless cucumber, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped basil

For the Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the bread cubes on a large baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the bread is toasted.
2. In a large bowl, combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, olives, red onion, feta cheese, and basil.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
4. Drizzle the dressing over the bread salad and toss until well combined. Let the salad sit for 30 minutes so the bread can soften a bit. Serve.

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