This Watermelon Panzanella Salad is a flavorful spin off the classic Italian toasted bread recipes found throughout the mediterranean.
This recipe was originally featured on The Domestic Dietitian in 2017, but the pictures and post have been updated and re-published in 2019.
Italian Inspired Recipe
While traveling through Italy a few years ago, I participated in my very own panzanella-tasting tour throughout Italy. Meaning that anytime I saw a version on the menu, I ordered it. I became a self-proclaimed panzanella expert. If Bobby Flay needed a panel of panzanella experts on his show, I would definitely qualify.
A “Panzanella” is simply a tomato-bread salad. The idea is to use up any stale, crusty bread you have laying around and give it a second life with lots of olive oil and fresh herbs.
I put my own spin on the traditional recipe and created this simple, summer salad.
Watermelon Panzanella Salad
This Watermelon Panzanella Salad recipe is one of my favorite to make because –
- It’s so easy, ready in less than 10 minutes
- The flavors are so fresh and light that it’s perfect in the summer
- My kids love it
- It utilizes stale bread you have laying around
I also love that making this salad a little in advance only improves the flavor!
Don’t Skip the Toasted Bread
Lightly toasting the bread, instead of creating a crunchy crouton, allows the juices from the watermelon and olive oil to absorb into the bread and creates such a great flavor. I also love topping it with fresh mint or basil. So much summer goodness in one bowl!
Nutritional Benefit –
Adding fruit to your recipes is also a great way to create a lot of flavor without adding heavy ingredients. Fresh fruit adds such a great dimension to many dishes and great nutritional benefits to your meals. Not to mention that adding more fresh fruit is one of the keys to The Mediterranean Diet as they are high in antioxidants and fiber and can help prevent cancer and heart disease.
Customizable Recipe Based on Your Preferences
The panzanella salad recipe is easily customizable too, which is something I look for in a recipe that I find myself making more than once.
Last summer, I shared this Cantaloupe Panzanella Salad that uses the same general technique. You could also skip the fruit all together and replace with vine-ripened tomatoes like this traditional Panzanella Salad Recipe from Wanderspice. So many options to make it your own.
Watermelon Panzanella Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- For the Toasted Bread –
- 1/2 baguette crusty italian bread cut into cubes or torn into small pieces
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- fresh ground pepper
- For the Salad –
- 4 cups arugula
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup watermelon cubed
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- For the Dressing –
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- salt & pepper to taste
- Optional – fresh mint or basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Lay the cubed bread on a baking sheet in a single layer
- Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and fresh ground pepper
- Bake in oven for 5-7 minutes, until bread is golden brown and just lightly toasted
- Remove from oven and let cool completely
- Assemble the salad by topping arugula with sliced onion, watermelon, feta cheese and toasted bread. Top with dressing ingredients and lightly toss together salad. Top with fresh herbs if desired
I love panzanella salad and I love the combo of watermelon and feta! So delicious all together. Plus pretty 🙂
Thanks Jessica! Our neighbor gave us the world’s hugest watermelon before they left on vacation so we’ve been making watermelon everything this week!
This looks so delicious and refreshing! And I bet my kids would like it too (well, minus the feta for them). Thanks for the inspiration!
My kids don’t like the feta either, totally customizable!
Love this idea! I’m a panzanella lover, so I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a try!
Thanks Lauren, hope you love it!
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Hahahaha “Panzanella expert”. I’ll be sure to let Bobby Flay know:) Such a great recipe. So light, refreshing and easy to make. And I love arugula too! Great combo!
Thanks for letting him know for me Amy
This recipe sounds delicious! I love everything with watermelon and feta cheese!
same here! Thanks Melissa
I wonder if we can add both the watermelon and the tomatoes in together? Definitely customizing! 🙂
Sadia I think that tomatoes and watermelon together would be wonderful!
[…] Watermelon Panzanella Salad […]
Love Panzanella Salad. This is new twist. I’m definitely trying!
Thank you so much Mary Louise!
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