Peach Panzanella Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

If you know me at all, you know I love to cook. I love to host. I love to gather everyone together and fill them up with delicious food and drink. As a result, I’ve been asked for more recipes over the years than I can count.

But there is one recipe I am asked to share far more than most — and that’s this gorgeous Panzanella salad.

Every time I make this for a BBQ or show up with it for a gathering, it disappears. I mean, when is it the salad that flies off the table? lol

But I get it. Who doesn’t like a salad that’s full of bread?

And besides that, it’s colorful, fresh, filling without being heavy, and somehow manages to feel both rustic and impressive at the same time. It’s the kind of salad that becomes the centerpiece of the table — especially piled high in my favorite oversized wooden serving bowl.

It’s also toddler-approved in our house. So, huge win there.

The toasted sourdough, juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet peaches, and basil make every bite feel like summer.

And while it shines during peak peach season, I make versions of it all year long. When fresh peaches aren’t available, I swap in crisp apples and it still feels right at home on a fall or winter table when you’re craving something fresh and bright.

One more thing I love: it holds up surprisingly well.

If I’m careful not to overdress the bread and I toast it properly, I routinely get two to three days out of the leftovers. That’s practically a miracle in the world of bread salads.

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 2 round sourdough boule loaves
• 8 mini cucumbers, diced
• 2 containers (16.5 ounces each) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2–3 just ripe peaches (avoid overly ripe!)
• 6–8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
• 1 large bunch fresh basil, julienned

For the Tomato Balsamic Dressing

• 1/2 cup fresh tomato juice (squeezed from about 3–4 ripe tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Assembly:

Step 1: Toast the Bread

• Preheat your oven to 375°F.
• Slice the sourdough and cut it into uniformly square cubes, a bit larger than traditional croutons
• Drizzle with olive oil and toss to lightly coat all pieces. Then, toast until the outside is golden and crisp while the inside remains soft and chewy.
• The goal is not croutons.
• You want little flavor sponges that can soak up and hold some dressing for flavor, but are crispy enough not to turn to mush.
• Set aside to cool completely before layering with the other salad ingredients.

Note: I like to use boule sourdough bread for this recipe; a day old works well, but unlike crostini, you want the bread to be fairly fresh so it stays soft enough in the center while toasting on the outside.

Step 2: Prepare the Produce

• Dice the cucumbers and peaches.
• Halve the tomatoes.
• Stack the basil leaves, roll them tightly, and slice into thin ribbons. **I like to save some nicely shaped, small, whole leaves for the end.  They make a beautiful garnish on top of the finished salad.**
• Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, and basil in a large bowl and toss gently.

Step 3: Make the Dressing

• Cut several ripe tomatoes in half and gently squeeze them over a fine mesh strainer to collect the juice.
• In a jar or bowl, combine:
  • 1/2 cup tomato juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Whisk or shake until well combined.
• Taste and adjust if needed.

Step 4: Dress the Bread

• Place the toasted bread cubes in a separate bowl.
• Add just enough dressing to lightly coat the toasted sourdough. Don’t soak the bread. A light coating keeps the bread flavorful while helping it maintain its texture for days. 

**It’s optional, but at this point, I like to sprinkle the dressed bread with a tiny bit of flaky sea salt. It just helps bump up all the flavors of the assembled salad.**

Step 5: Assemble the Salad

• Rather than tossing everything together, build the salad in layers.
• In a large serving bowl:
  • Add a layer of dressed bread
  • Add a layer of cucumber, tomato, peach, and basil mixture
  • Sprinkle on some mozzarella
• Repeat layering until everything has been used.
• This layering method helps keep the salad light, beautiful, and evenly distributed without becoming a soggy mess.

Variations

Fall Version: Swap the peaches for diced Honeycrisp apples.

Extra Protein: Add grilled chicken, shrimp, or prosciutto. 

Cheese Lovers: Increase the mozzarella to 8 ounces or more.

Garden Fresh: Use whatever tomatoes or cucumbers that are overflowing from your garden.

FAQ