Gluten-free balsamic panzanella salad is bursting with vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, basil, spinach and grilled GF bread with a balsamic vinaigrette.
Farmer's Market Finds
The farmer's markets are now filled with loads with sun kissed vine ripened tomatoes and fragrant basil. Don't miss your opportunity to enjoy the late summer harvest with one of our favorite salads; a gluten-free balsamic panzanella salad.
The tomato plants smell fragrant, sweet, zesty and are tantalizing to the nose. My favorite way to eat vine ripened tomatoes are straight fresh from the garden. Tomatoes are best eaten while they are still warmed by the sun. What do you think? How about you? Just bring some napkins along because that juice is sure to run down your chin and arms....
You are just going to love this gluten-free balsamic panzanella salad as it is vegan, budget friendly and cardiac friendly. This recipe was originally posted on August 19, 2012 but has updated to make it gluten-free and dairy free.
What is Panzanella?
Panzanella is a rustic Tuscan salad. This Italian peasant dish was developed many years ago. Country folk used to soak their old stale bread in water and mix it with vegetables from the garden to save pennies. Nothing is ever left to waste.
If you or your family has wheat sensitivities, you can use gluten-free white bread. Please go ahead and use "real" hearty Tuscan bread with a crusty exterior, if wheat does not bother you. Toasting or grilling the bread and not adding the bread until the very last minute, keeps the bread crunchy. The crunchy bread is a great contrast with the juicy tomatoes, crisp onions and fresh spinach.
There are many versions of Panzanella salad. Some people like to add olives, artichokes, cucumbers, beans, cheese or even grilled chicken to their panzanella salad. However, this gluten-free balsamic panzanella salad recipe is a classic version with just a handful of ingredients.
Secret to a good Gluten-Free Balsamic Panzanella Salad
Allow the tomatoes and onions time to marinate in the balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The tomatoes create their own delicious sauce and the onions change from pungent to sweet.
More Delicious Salads
Tutti Fruitti Kale Salad and Citrus Honey Dressing
Heirloom Tomato Cucumber Salad
Seared Steak Salad with Strawberry Cucumber Dressing
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Gluten-Free Balsamic Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
( and a little extra to drizzle on the bread before grilling) - 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
dried - salt and pepper to taste
- 5 tomatoes chopped heirloom or vine ripened
- 1 small onion red ( chopped into thin half moon slices)
- 3 cloves garlic
(2 finely minced and 1 cut in half to season the bread) - 8 slices bread
gluten free white (or if no gluten allergies then use a rustic Tuscan white bread) - ½ cup fresh basil
roughly chopped - 4 cups spinach chopped fresh or baby spinach
Instructions
- Step 1:Prepare your simple balsamic vinaigrette. Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning in a jar, cover with lid and shake until well incorporated.
- Place chopped tomatoes, red onion, 2 cloves finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste and ½ of the balsamic vinaigrette in a large bowl. Marinate the tomatoes for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
- Brush both sides of the crusty gluten-free bread with olive oil and then brush the garlic over the oil.
- Grill the gluten-free bread for 3-5 minutes until slightly golden and has grill marks. Remove and set aside. (or you can even put in the toaster or bake in the oven)
- Cut bread into cubes set aside. Add the fresh basil and fresh spinach to the marinated tomatoes, toss to coat well. Add the grilled cubed gluten-free bread and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Add more balsamic vinaigrette dressing as desired or reserve balsamic vinaigrette in refrigerator for your next salad.
- Enjoy this vegan gluten free balsamic panzanella salad alone or with any grilled meats or fish.
Marina@Picnic at Marina says
What a beautiful tomatoes Bam! I want to dive into that salad bowl with my spoon. 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
We will make extra for you next time. I hope you are having a fabulous summer. Take Care, BAM
janinka1 says
Gorgeous!! and all your pictures are so fantastic!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks this salad would pair well with a tall glass of ice teas with some of those fancy ice cubes you made the other day.
ioanna aggelidaki says
This looks so yummy and easy to make! will definitely try it! Thank you Bam! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Glad you liked it. Take advantage of Augusts beautiful harvest.
jothetartqueen says
the panzanella looks beautiful! Was just watching a programme on travel and food in tuscany and they featured this! those heirloom tomatoes look so beautiful..I don't think i'll be able to replicate the same flavour in sg..the tomatoes here taste like cardboard...
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Jo. I have the same problem here in Hong Kong the tomatoes taste just like red cardboard. Actually maybe cardboard has more flavor....at least that has fiber.... So I guess you and I will just have to put more travel in our lives to destinations with heirloom tomatoes. Sounds like a great plan to me. Take care, BAM
jothetartqueen says
Yes unfortunately, that seems to be the case in Asia.
Glad that you are enjoying your travels in Michigan. =)Enjoy the fresh produce while you are there!
In the meantime, I would really have to get down to planning more trips.
Stefanie says
Beautiful homegrown tomatoes! Those are always the best! And I love all the colors of heirloom tomatoes. This panzanella is a wonderful way to highlight the tomatoes. I have yet to make it before... guess I should give it a try some time soon!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Stephanie. I love how mother nature is so colorful! Take care, BAM
nancyc says
That looks really delicious!!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Nancy.
kathleen1richardson says
You're back!! Sure missed you and your wonderful words and photos. Hope all is okay with your grandfather. I typically use leftover 'aged' bread in a bread pudding. However, I like your recipe, too. What a great alternative for using up bread (and probably a lot fewer calories!).
Keep writing...
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Kathleen. Missed you too! Actually its my dad's health but he is still hanging in there, just appreciating the days we have with him. Take care, BAM
Purely.. Kay says
If I could eat tomatoes, I'd be all over this dish LOL. ALL over it I tell ya 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Kay, sorry to hear this. I will make something minus tomatoes for you with my next dish. Take Care, BAM
Kristy says
This is pure Michigan and purely fantastic! Thete's nothing better than summer in Michigan! 🙂 Looks like a great time. 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Kristy. With a smore in one hand and in a bag of sweet Traverse cherries in the other. I was in pure Michigan heaven. I hope your summer has been grand.Take care, BAM
Norma Chang says
What a delicious looking salad, agree, nothing like sun ripened, fresh off the vine, heirloom tomatoes. Glad your picky teenager discovered and love heirloom tomatoes.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Norma, I was actually shocked my picky teenager would even try it. It is those heirloom tomatoes they make everything taste great.
rsmacaalay says
Thats a lovely looking salad Bam!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks it is best eaten the same day. No worries there are never any leftovers...
Dawn says
I wish it was warm enough for an extended period of time to grow tomatoes like that!! We are lucky if we get the little sun golds here...
Healthy World Cuisine says
Trust me it is even worse in Hong Kong. The tomatoes that are shipped in from abroad have no taste as they are picked green and ripen along the route and the local grown ones are even worse. I guess I will just have to dream about these heirloom tomatoes until my next visit home. Take Care,BAM
Mich - Piece of Cake says
These tomatoes look gorgeous! Your salad looks really delicious and appetising with the lovely mix of colours.
Healthy World Cuisine says
The heirloom tomatoes were are different colors but all the same sweet taste. I am craving one right now!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise says
Welcome back Bam
Oh my those are some amazing tomatoes
I grew two plants on my window and I have to say that noting compares to the taste of a freshly picked tomato still warm from the sun
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Sawson! Maybe next year I should also consider growing a cherry tomato plant on my kitchen window seal. Have a great day. BAM
kitchenriffs says
Welcome back! And what a terrific recipe you're sharing with us. I've heard of this recipe, and have several cookbooks that include it - but it's one I've never made. Why? Probably because i rarely have the type of leftover bread that would be appropriate! I've got to work on that. 😉 Anyway, really great stuff. Glad to see you're back.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Good to be back! You do not need to have one day old bread for this recipe to work, as the grilling of the bread keeps the bread crunchy and the vinaigrette just coats the outside. Its really nice. I am looking forward to making some of those cocktails you have posted this upcoming weekend. Take Care, BAM