Summer Tomato Peach Panzanella

A square platter heaped with tomatoes, peaches, corn, basil, mozzarella cheese, and cubed bread.

This summer tomato peach panzanella is filled with juicy late summer vegetables. Salt and drain all the veggies over a bowl and then use the juices as a base for a flavorful summer vinaigrette. A panzanella is hard to beat, and they are made to serve a crowd. Enjoy!

Course Side Dishes

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 529kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Ingredients

2-3 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes and peaches
2 ears sweet corn on the cob boiled for 5 minutes then cut from the cob
1 small to medium cucumber peeled, quartered and sliced
½ cup sliced Vidalia onion (red onion would work well here, too)
1 small bell pepper washed, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoon lemon juice to keep peaches from browning
¾ pound Italian bread ciabatta, focaccia, etc
2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper to taste
zest of one medium lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
10-12 large basil leaves torn or chopped with a very sharp knife
4-6 oz fresh mozzarella torn into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

Blanch the tomatoes and peaches for about 1 minute to loosen the skins. Peel and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Place the tomatoes and peaches in a colander set over a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, including the bread. Add corn, cucumber, onion, and bell pepper to the colander as well.
Toss the fruit and vegetables with salt and lemon juice. Allow to drain about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350. Cut crust off the bread (or leave it on) and cut or pull into bite-sized pieces. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice. Let cool.
By now, you should have a nice amount of juices collected in your bowl. To that, add the vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon zest, and black pepper. Whisk well to combine.
While whisking madly, stream in the olive or avocado oil. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. You can also add a bit more vinegar if you want it sharper or more oil if you like your vinaigrettes more mellow.
Add the reserved vegetables, cooled bread and almost all the herbs to the bowl of vinaigrette, and fold together to evenly moisten the bread. Allow to sit for at least half an hour or up to an hour, folding a couple of times so the bread can evenly soak up the dressing.
Add the torn mozzarella and the reserved basil to the top of the salad before serving. You can toss everything together once everyone has seen your gorgeous salad.

Nutrition