This apple panzanella salad is a delightful twist on the traditional Italian bread salad. It’s made with rustic bread, crunchy apples, caramelized onions, and salty olives. No need to soak stale bread! Naturally vegan and made without tomatoes.

🥖 What is Panzanella Salad

At its heart, panzanella salad is a crazy delicious way to use up stale bread. It comes from central Italy. Very stale bread is soaked, squeezed, crumbled, and then tossed with fresh tomatoes, onions, herbs, good olive oil, and vinegar. The bread soaks up all the juices as it sits, transforming into a humble miracle.

The apple panzanella salad recipe I’m sharing today replaces tomatoes with sweet, crunchy apples. The general concept remains the same, but with fresh, rustic bread (no soaking required!), caramelized onions, and a zesty vinaigrette. The flavors infuse into an irresistible combination that is all sorts of sweet, salty, savory goodness.

🍎 Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll find the complete ingredient list with measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Rustic bread – Choose a sturdy artisan bakery-style bread such as sourdough, crusty Italian bread, or Tuscan bread. I don’t recommend using soft sandwich bread, which will become soggy under the vinaigrette.

Apples- Go with a crispy sweet variety such as Cosmic Crisp, Fuji, or Honey Crisp apples.

Red onion- These milder onions are perfect for caramelizing, and the red color looks so pretty, too.

Extra virgin olive oil- Use the best you can comfortably afford.

Aged balsamic vinegar- This thick, sweet vinegar is essential for caramelizing onions. Look for “aged” on the bottle to be sure it’s not regular balsamic vinegar.

Castelvetrano olives – These salty, buttery little gems perfectly balance the sweet apples and onions. Just be sure to remove the pits first or buy pitted olives.

Fresh thyme leaves – Fresh is best. If you can’t find fresh, use 2 teaspoons of dried.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette - Our homemade recipe is a classic combo of ACV, EVOO, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and salt.

🥣 How to Make This Recipe (With Photos)

When you’re ready to make this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post. You’ll find the complete ingredient list with measurements there.

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat pour in the extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinaigrette. Tumble in the sliced onions and mix it all together. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to wilt. Then turn the heat down to medium. Continue to cook until the onions are soft, golden, sticky, and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool to a reasonable temperature for handling.

ingredients for apple panzanella salad in a bowl

2. In a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk all the apple cider vinaigrette ingredients.

3. In a large bowl, add the bread, apples, olives, caramelized onions, and thyme. Use your hands to toss it all together until the onions are well distributed.

tossing apple panzanella salad with vinaigrette

4. Pour the apple cider vinaigrette over the salad. Toss once again until the bread is well coated in the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper to your liking. Let rest for 20- 30 minutes for the bread to soften and dig in with big spoons!

❄️ Storage Instructions

Apple panzanella salad is best eaten the day it is made.

It can safely sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

To store any leftovers:

Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Bring it back to cool room temperature before serving.
Taste and refresh with a drizzle of olive oil or a pinch of salt to wake it back up.

This recipe does not freeze well.

❓FAQs

Do I need to soak my bread first?

No, you do not need to soak your bread first. Traditional Italian panzanella uses very stale bread that needs soaking first to make it soft enough to chew. This recipe uses fresh rustic bread that is easily sliced and then torn into little pieces.

What kind of bread works best in panzanella?

Rustic artisan Italian bread. There are so many to choose from! Sourdough, Tuscan bread, and homemade country bread will all work beautifully. You want a crusty loaf with a dense, chewy center. I don’t recommend soft sandwich bread, which will become soggy and fall apart under the dressing.

How long should panzanella sit before serving?

Let the apple panzanella salad sit for 20- 30 minutes before serving. Resting the salad allows for all the lovely flavors to soak into and soften the bread.

❤️ What to Serve with Panzanella / Panzanella Menu

Now that we have the most delicious salad ever, let’s explore how to build a relaxed Tuscan-style meal around it.

1️⃣ Start with appetizers and light sides like antipasti and risotto.

2️⃣ Serve family style with Minestrone Soup or Pesto Pasta.

3️⃣ Pass with a protein such as Garbanzo Beans and Crispy Tofu.

4️⃣ Finish the meal with Biscotti and Almond Cookies, fresh fruit, and, of course, a good espresso.

I have every confidence that this will become your new favorite salad to enjoy all winter long. With the garden in hibernation and last year’s apples in cold storage, it certainly is mine.

❤️ From my inner bread lover to yours,

X,o,

Easy Apple Panzanella Salad Recipe Without Tomatoes