This summer peach & tomato panzanella is a salad that I return year after year. The combination of juicy peaches, ripe tomatoes, basil and whiet balsamic dressing is just perfect for the peak of summer. Kale and shallots are unusual additions, but they add a little uniqueness to this summer salad.
Remember when I made a fresh and spring-y panzanella and I told you about my love for the classic, summertime version? Well, I’ve got a warm weather one here for you with a couple of non-traditional (but incredibly delicious) elements like chopped kale, shaved shallots, peaches and my new fave: white balsamic vinegar. Yum for real. It’s the salad you make when you wanna win friends. Or just when you wanna win. Period.
If you want to go full-stop classic on this dish, you can check out my no-fuss version on Joanna Goddard’s blog this week. I’ve been reading A Cup of Jo for as long as I’ve known that blogs actually exist I think, so when they asked me to contribute a recipe for Joanna’s “The best ________ you’ll ever have” recipe series, I was pretty excited to expand even more on my love of panzanella. It’s a two-for-one kind of deal today.
Happy summer to you all. Make some panzanella and soak up that beautiful sun :)
Summer Peach & Tomato Panzanella
Ingredients
Bread Pieces
- 4 cups torn up pieces of bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Salad Assembly
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
- 2 large peaches, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 stalks of kale, stems removed and leaves sliced
- 2 big sprigs of basil, leaves sliced
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Notes
- I opt for white balsamic vinegar because it doesn’t impart a dark colour onto the bread. Feel free to use the darker, regular balsamic vinegar if that’s what you have though.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the tore up bread on a large, parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat bread evenly in the oil. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping croutons at the halfway point to promote even browning. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Place the chopped tomatoes, peaches, kale and basil in a large bowl. Drizzle the oil and white balsamic vinegar on top and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add the cooled croutons and toss once more.
- Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes or so so that the bread can soak up the juiciness from all the veggies and fruit. Serve with a big sprig of basil on top if you like.
Your dish look so delicious! I’ve never tried making panzanella before, but after reading your recipe I feel like I have to. Thank you for sharing!
We made that tonight with fresh nectarines… sooo delicious! Mhhh!
I make this so often. Made it last this July in Venice with peaches and tomatoes from the Rialto Market. It’s a crowdpleaser
Just found this post…love the vid!!!
I love this salad! I made it once during the summer and I’ve modified it for fall by adding pears and apples instead of the peaches.
Made this yesterday and I was the super star at my book club. REALLY GOOD!!!!
This looks amazing! (Bummed I couldn’t get the video to load!)
Just made this recipe this weekend with my family and it was delicious. Perfect late summer recipe. And great for here in Southern California where it’ll stay hot for quite awhile longer.
Eeehhhhh, AMAZING! Can I please eat both, you, your garden, the panzanella and well, everything about this post!
Marvelous work, all of you!
Greenylicious LOVE
I love everything about this video, Laura! Nice job! Now you have me craving some panzanella for lunch :)
I love everything about this!! Such a wicked video! I’ve been wanting to make one myself & this is so inspiring. I also cannot wait to make this when I get home from my travels!
Love the video, and love the recipe! Thank you again for being a part of the series!! :)
I love everything about this post.
Laura,
Great video, great music and wonderful recipe! We loved it.
The first photo looks mouthwatering… big time! I’d eat this for lunch! The video is stunning!
love it! the song is an instant summer classic (it somehow already has the feel of memory to me, like it is familiar … love it). and the energy that comes through the screen, of friends collaborating and the pure joy of a summer meal together, is as delicious as the panzanella looks. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. Thanks for sharing – and thanks to your talented collaborators as well.
The video + the music + the harvesting + summer = L.O.V.E. Seriously.
Your video made my day!!! Love.
I am SOOO Gitty!!! I cannot believe I have not been here before, nor seen any of your beautiful videos! Honestly, can I have your life? Being city-bound, there is nothing, absolutely nothing more appealing than picking your own fruit, pulling up your own vegetables…. and KALE, and then making it into this wonderful, delicious Salad!!! Yay :) I have a big family event next week, and this is perfect! Thank you, Your New Biggest Fan! big hugs for my fellow kale lover.
Guuurrrrrllll! This is awesome.
If I didn’t already want to make this yummy panzanella based on the gorgeous photos, the video hooked me. Awesome video and recipe!!
Laura, this is absolutely stunning. I must know how you did the video!
This is fantastic, Laura. Every bit of it.
I’m pretty much in love. Not only do I want to move to your house immediately, but I’m dying to have this for lunch now. Great job on the video and big, big congrats on the Cup of Jo feature! You must come visit SF soon! xo
You are infinitely cooler than I could ever hope to be.
Fabulous all around!
what a lovely video! so natural and so free. the panzanella looks good too! i’ve never had it with peaches before… that’s a great addition!
I love the video!! And holy panzanella…tomatoes, peaches, and KALE!! 3 of my favourite things. Thanks for sharing :)
This is so gorgeous. Love the video — definitely making this soon!
Much love!
Loving everything about this, Laura! The video is beautiful – and it’s pretty awesome (!!!) that your friends made an original song for it. Love, love, love. You rule.
Laura, you rule! I love how casual and natural you are when you’re cooking and this video really shows that, and an original song?! Super cool. I have been putting peaches in my salads all summer, but haven’t tried them in panzanella. I think I’ll just have to give this a go. Congrats lady!
Love love love.
You are wonderful. xo
Laura.
I am in total awe.
Just perfect! Love the recipe + the video + the song + everything about this.
Uhhhh…how rad is this video?? Awesome in every way – the recipe, the video, you! And beautiful panzanella (both of them).