• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Everyday Family Eats
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Chicken parm meatball bake.
      Baked Chicken Parm Meatballs
    • Fruit salad with condensed milk served in a glass bowl with a gold spoon.
      Fruit Salad with Condensed Milk
    • Colorful jars of veggie soup lined up on a sunny counter.
      Girl Soup
    • A bowl of green goddess soup with swirls of creme fraiche and herbs.
      Green Goddess Soup
    • A bowl of roasted vegetable soup topped with crispy garlic croutons.
      Italian Roasted Vegetable Soup
    • A bowl of carrot lentil soup topped with fresh dill on a wooden board.
      Carrot Red Lentil Soup
    • Mac and cheese with cauliflower and bacon in a cozy serving bowl.
      Cauliflower and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese
    • A baked carrot cake muffin with a bite taken to reveal a cream cheese center.
      Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Muffins
    • Buttery egg noodles cooked in one pot with a sprinkle of parsley.
      One Pot Cheesy Buttered Egg Noodles
    • A serving plate of ritz cracker chicken with buttered egg noodles and salad.
      Baked Ritz Cracker Chicken
    • Oven tacos garnished with lettuce, tomato and avocado.
      Baked Beef Tacos
    • A batch of freshly baked snickerdoodles made from an easy and simple recipe.
      Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies
    Everyday Family Eats » Salad

    Caprese Panzanella

    Published: Aug 16, 2024 by Kelli Avila · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe
    Caprese panzanella with garlic butter bread, cheese, and tomatoes, garnished with fresh basil.

    This Caprese Panzanella blends two classic Italian salads, featuring garlic butter toasted bread, tomatoes, basil, and cheese, all tossed in a simple balsamic dressing.

    Caprese panzanella with garlic butter bread, cheese, and tomatoes, garnished with fresh basil.

    Meet the salad I can't get enough of this summer: Caprese Garlic Butter Panzanella. It’s a delightful mix of garlic butter toasted sourdough bread, combined with juicy tomatoes, salty cheese, and whole basil leaves, all tossed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette. It’s basically summer in a bowl, and my whole family loves it.

    Like many of the salads on this website (Cucumber Avocado Salad and Couscous Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Feta come to mind), this dish is a celebration of simple, fresh ingredients. Combining two classic Italian salads, it highlights summer's best duo: ripe tomatoes and fresh basil. The cheese and buttery bread add richness, making the salad satisfying while still feeling light. This vibrant Caprese Panzanella is perfect as a light meal or a standout side dish.

    Fresh caprese panzanella salad showcasing vibrant tomatoes, basil, and garlic butter toasted bread.

    Ingredients Needed and Substitutions

    Here is a what you need to make it (and the full recipe is listed at the bottom of this article:

    • sourdough or Italian bread (My favorite bread to use in this is a semolina sourdough loaf I make at home, but any rustic bread works well—just make sure to buy a whole loaf so you can cut it into 1-½" cubes)
    • garlic butter (this here is the magic--I'm obsessed with garlic butter and how it can transform a dinner: I make a large batch of it and freeze it as needed, or you can just as easily purchase it at the store--Kerrygold has a new one I really like)
    • whole basil leaves (used generously, almost like lettuce in this salad)
    • cherry tomatoes (or any ripe tomato you have on hand, but cherry tomatoes are ideal as they have less moisture, preventing the salad from becoming too watery)
    • Oaxaca cheese (this is a white, semi-soft Mexican cheese, similar to mozzarella but slightly firmer with a mild salty flavor and I love love love it for this salad and you can usually find it in the specialty cheese section, but it can just as easily be substituted it with low-moisture part-skim mozzarella or even fresh mozzarella)
    • garlic powder (or use a minced fresh clove of garlic)
    • balsamic vinegar + olive oil (use the best quality that you have, especially with the balsamic vinegar as it makes a real difference in the final dish)
    • coarse kosher salt

    How to Make It

    Traditional panzanella salads typically use stale or day-old bread that will absorb the flavor of the salad without becoming soggy. For this Caprese Panzanella, we're switching things up a bit by toasting fresh bread in in garlic butter. Essentially it's like little cubes of garlic bread, and it's delightful. Use fresh bread, or day old bread.

    This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!

    Bread cubes soaking in garlic butter, getting ready for a caprese panzanella salad.

    Step 1: In a large skillet, melt the garlic butter over medium-low heat. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted.

    Whisking balsamic vinaigrette in a bowl for a caprese panzanella.

    Step 2: In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt until homogenized.

    Adding cubed cheese to marinated tomatoes for a panzanella caprese salad.

    Step 3: Add in the tomatoes and cheese and mix together.

    Fresh garlic butter bread added on top of cheese and tomatoes for a caprese panzanella salad.

    Step 4: Once the bread is cool, add to the salad.

    Fresh basil leaves covering the croutons in a caprese panzanella.

    Step 5: Add in the clean and dry basil leaves.

    Fresh caprese panzanella salad showcasing vibrant tomatoes, basil, and garlic butter toasted bread.

    Step 6: Gently toss to coat. Be sure to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

    Serving + Storing

    This salad can be served immediately or within 15-30 minutes after preparation. It's best consumed within 24 hours to prevent the bread and basil from becoming soggy or wilted.

    For advance prep, assemble the salad up to the point of mixing the dressing, cheese, and tomatoes. This mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a day. The garlic bread cubes can also be toasted a day ahead. However, keep the bread and basil separate and toss them with the salad just before serving.

    More Salads

    You also might like these other light and bright recipes:

    • Corn succotash with tomatoes and bacon.
      Tomato, Bacon and Corn Succotash
    • A chopped greek chicken salad fully assembled.
      Chopped Greek Chicken Salad
    • A serving size portion of cucumber avocado salad.
      Cucumber Avocado Salad
    • A prepared bowl of tortellini salad.
      Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

    Making this Caprese Panzanella Salad recipe? Be sure to leave a comment with a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!

    Print

    Full Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Caprese panzanella with garlic butter bread, cheese, and tomatoes, garnished with fresh basil.

    Caprese Panzanella

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
    • Author: Kelli Avila
    • Prep Time: 00:10
    • Cook Time: 00:12
    • Total Time: 22 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
    • Category: Salad
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This Caprese Panzanella blends two classic Italian salads, featuring garlic butter toasted bread, tomatoes, basil, and cheese, all tossed in a simple balsamic dressing.


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • ¼ cup garlic butter
    • 4 ounces sourdough bread, cut into bite-sized cubes (about 3 cups)
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
    • 3 cups cherry tomatoes, washed, dried, and cut in half
    • 8 ounces Oaxaca cheese, diced into ¼-inch pieces (or mozzarella)
    • 2 cups basil leaves, washed and dried

    Instructions

    1. In a large skillet, heat the garlic butter over medium-low. Once melted, add the bread cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread is lightly toasted, about 10-15 minutes. Lower the heat if needed to prevent the bread from burning. When the garlic bread cubes are golden remove from the heat and let cool in the pan while assembling the rest of the salad.
    2. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt until homogenized. 
    3. Add in the tomatoes and cheese and mix together.
    4. Add in the bread cubes and basil leaves and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
    5. Serve immediately or within 30 minutes of preparation.

    Notes

    Oaxaca cheese is a white, semi-soft cheese from Mexico. It is similar to mozzarella, with a mild salty flavor, but just a bit firmer. If you can’t find Oaxaca in the specialty cheese section, you can replace it with a block of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella.

    Buy premade garlic butter, or make your own.

    This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Primary Sidebar

    A photo of Kelli Avila, creator of Everyday Family Eats, standing in a kitchen.

    Hi, I'm so glad you are here!

    I'm Kelli, the creator of Everyday Family Eats, this space where I share easy and quick recipes the whole family will love! I'm a former professional cook and baker, and full-time working mom, who is passionate about creating approachable dinner ideas that allow the whole family to gather at the table and enjoy a meal together.

    More about me →

    Keep in the know!

    Sign up for the Everyday Family Eats Newsletter to be the first to hear about new recipes and seasonal content you don't want to miss.

    Kelli's Favorite Recipes

    • Gnocchi with pizza ingredients.
      Skillet Pizza Gnocchi
    • Sheet pan sausage, potatoes and veggies.
      Sheet Pan Sausage and Potatoes
    • Fully cooked stovetop mac and cheese.
      One-Pot Mac and Cheese
    • A plate of BBQ Cheddar meatballs.
      BBQ Cheddar Meatballs

    Footer

    About

    • About
    • Ethics and Editorial Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 - 2025 Everyday Recipes, LLC