Panzanella salad with burrata cheese

This panzanella salad with burrata cheese is the perfect recipe for a summer meal.

Because I’m posting this on a Monday, who participates in #MeatlessMondays?  This is a great summer panzanella salad that is great for Mondays or any day!  

Let’s be honest, though … my sister refers to this as my “bread salad.”  Yes, MAYBE I go a little heavy-handed with the sourdough croutons, but.  C’mon.  They’re sourdough croutons.  You will, too.  

My go-to version of this salad is just vegetables and croutons.  However, I did add burrata cheese to it the last time since it was more of a main course salad versus a side dish.  For those wanting to make this a main course for your #meatlessmonday, adding marinated grilled tofu would be amazing.  Or even plant-based “chicken” nuggets sliced up.  

No matter what combination of ingredients you choose, you can’t go wrong with this salad!

Panzanella Salad Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved and sliced
• 3 bell peppers (I used 2 red and one green), chopped into half-inch chunks
• 1 red onion, chopped into quarter-inch chunks
• 3-4 tomatoes, chopped into half-inch chunks
• 2-3 cups sourdough bread, cut into half-inch croutons
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut your sourdough into half-inch chunks, lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Put into oven to toast.  Keep an eye as they will go from toasted to burnt quickly.  **The toasting process for my oven generally takes about 10-15 minutes.**

While the croutons are in the oven, start preparing the vegetables.  Combine all vegetables in a large serving bowl.  In a measuring cup, measure out your vinegar, oil and then add the dijon mustard, salt and pepper.  Whisk until well combined.  (You can also use a food processor to mix the liquids — add vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, then turn on and slowly add olive oil until mixed.)

Drizzle the vegetables with about half of the dressing and toss.  Then add your croutons and toss again.  Right before serving, add a little more of the dressing to make sure the salad is moist.  

**The croutons will get a little soggy the longer they sit in the salad.  If you’re not serving the salad right away, wait to add the croutons/remaining dressing.  

Looking for other recipes for your burrata cheese? Check out our Whipped Burrata with Pasta and Heirloom Tomatoes recipe!