Chef John's Panzanella Recipe

Excellent! I kept the ingredients the same but changed the toasting method of the bread. I placed the olive oil tossed bread cubes on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for approx. 5 min. Stirred and sprinkled with the Parmesan, then continued to bake until nicely browned. This recipe doesn't disappoint.

I came for dinner, stayed for flavor.

I used cubed sour dough bread (yum!!!!) and increased the grated cheese, using Romano Picorino....we prefer the sharper taste. This one's definitely a keeper....speaking as an Italian, it's a staple in our house!

🫛🌽🥕 I always add frozen peas, corn and carrots to mine. Sweeter, and stretches it out for big families. Love the added flavors ot creates!

Definitely will make this again!! I used heirloom tomatoes because our plants have PRODUCED! And I added minced green onions. Next time I'm going to bake the bread and make it whole grain. And add cucumbers. And no salt. It will make it better for my husband and myself. I can't wait to use another Chef John recipe!

Chef John's trick for frying the bread with parmesan for Panzanella is genius! I have been frying croutons with parm for years for caesar salad. Why did I never think to do this for Panzanella? This was the BEST Panzanella ever. I used half red wine vinegar and half olive with a little sugar and salt, just like he advised, and that was perfect. I used the toy box tomatoes, too, but I digressed slightly and added a little crisp-roasted asparagus (because I needed to use it), a little thinly sliced salad turnip (because they had come out of the ground that day and I couldn't resist) and about a half of a minced shallot, in addition the small amount of garlic and basil (I used a little more basil). But the tomatoes made up the bulk of the vegetables and they were certainly the star. Everyone loved this and I can't wait to make it again!

The method of toasting the bread in olive oil and then adding the parmigiano is genius! I've been making panzanella for a number of years now, and that really took this one over the top. I did add some bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), red onion, Gaeta olives and fresh parsley from my garden. We served this with grilled ribeye steaks, and it was delicious!

This recipe looked simple and fun. It was! I made it even easier by using bagged Cheese & Garlic Croutons, and hot house tomatoes. Also used fresh basil from my garden and added shrimp that I'd cooked in a garlic, red pepper flake, olive oil & butter mix. Turned it into a meal rather than a side. My husband went back for seconds!

My family and friends love this recipe. I love it because of the tomatoes and everyone else because of the croutons. I follow CJ’s recipe as closely as possible except for these minor changes: 1) wok instead of frying pan because I make at least a gallon of the croutons at a time, 2) I cook them way past the perfect golden brown shown on the video since this keeps the infidels wondering through the kitchen from eating too many, too soon, 3) hide the finished bowl until it is time to eat or the bread thieves turn it into a marinated tomato dish. Since I am the tomato lover in the family I try to only use the “toy box” tomatoes shown in the video since they add greatly to the appearance of the dish.

Great Recipe, easy to make. I went light on the garlic and heavier on the Basil. Also, you have to taste this recipe about half way thu the marinade process. I added a small pinch of salt and more vinegar and oil . This is really easy to make! Next time I will used a bourbon barrel aged Asiago and Parmesan blend.

Made this tonight for dinner. As suggested in the video, I didn’t measure anything. Just made it to taste. It was absolutely delicious and a perfect dinner for a Summer night. I used cubed Tuscan white bread in small batches with lots of good olive oil. Fresh parmigiana reggiano. Right before serving I added diced fresh mozzarella. So good. But my waistline is complaining that it’s a stretch to call this a “salad”!

This recipe is FANTASTIC! I loved all the flavors and the bread alone after toasting is is seriously good! Will make it again and into a meal by adding flaked or chunky tuna!

This was delicious. I used heirloom tomatoes from my garden. The croutons were excellent. I cut down on the amount of olive oil used to save calories, and didn’t notice.

Made just as is and the second time around, did add mozzarella to turn this into a meal.

Made this tonight for dinner. As suggested in the video, I didn’t measure anything. Just made it to taste. It was absolutely delicious and a perfect dinner for a Summer night. I used cubed Tuscan white bread in small batches with lots of good olive oil. Fresh parmigiana reggiano. Right before serving I added diced fresh mozzarella. So good. But my waistline is complaining that it’s a stretch to call this a “salad”!

This was so simple and tasty. Followed the directions as demonstrated but just added a bit of chicken. The bread is nice and crunchy and definitely an improvement over some of my past panzanella attempts.

lived this. I added sweet onions and feta cheese.

This is a family favourite. Perfected mine to taste just like Nona’s

One of the best things I've ever made. I made it exactly as it says and will probably make it weekly.

Fantastic! Kids loved the toasty bread pieces so much they didn’t all make it into the salad. Will definitely make it again this way. The crispy bread was far superior to other techniques out there.