This panzanella recipe is a summery riff on the classic Italian panzanella salad, made with sweet, juicy peaches, savory bacon, and gooey burrata. Everything mingles with perfectly chewy-crisp sourdough bread chunks and dressed in an easy to make golden balsamic vinegar dressing, for a super delish, healthy-ish salad you’ll want on repeat all summer-long.
Here we are, just three days into spring, and I’m already counting down the days to summer. That would be 72 if you’re wondering. It’s not the hazy, lazy summer days lounging at the pool I’m waiting for (although that IS always on my summer happiness list), it’s the food I’m craving now. After a winter of simmering soups and savory stews, this girl is ready for the fresh, bright colors of salads of every color. And if it said salad has even a hint of caprese salad fixings—which I classify as a salad that includes some sort of mozzarella dressed in olive oil and balsamic and topped with basil—I am so 100% all over it. It’s just one reason why I stopped dead in my flipping-the-pages-tracks while perusing the new cookbook of one of my favorite friends, then swiftly scoped my pantry stock for golden balsamic vinegar, checked on my countertop basil plant to be sure it hadn’t expired due to dehydration (those babies dry out fast!), and then headed straight to the grocery store for three loves of my foodie loving life: peaches, burrata, and bacon. Okay, make that four loves, with sourdough bread too.
How to Make This Peachy Keen Panzanella Bread Salad
One of the beauties of this panzanella ala caprese salad, and just one of its merits that I 100% agree with Jessica on, is the deliciousness of its play on sweet, savory, and salty flavors. And while farm fresh peaches aren’t in season yet, I did find some perfectly acceptable store-bought peaches that I ripened just a bit more overnight in a bag on the countertop with a few bananas. Why bananas? They exude ethylene gas that promotes the ripening of many fruits. You could also use nectarines or even plums instead of peaches, or a combination of all three. I cooked up a batch of thick-cut, smokey bacon and crumbled it on afterward. But don’t let go of that grease! One addition I made to this recipe from Jess’s original is toasting the sourdough in a spattering of drippings in the same cast-iron skillet I fried the bacon in then sprinkled it all with big flakes of sea salt. A sprinkling of herbs would be amazing on top too. Burrata is the glue that brings it all together in this salad. Burrata is a fresh buffalo milk cheese that’s molded on the outside with mozzarella with the inside filled with cheese cream for the ultimate creamy cheese texture. You could also substitute regular fresh mozzarella instead.
- Arugula
- Butter lettuce
- Spring mix
- 50/50 blend
And don’t forget the basil. It’s the topping on this panzanella/caprese-ish cake.
More Caprese-zanella Recipes to Cure Your Summer Cravings
- Roasted Tomato and Burrata Caprese Salad
- 30-Minute Caprese Chicken Recipe
- Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad
- Greek-Style Panzanella Bread Salad Recipe
- Chicken Caprese Sandwich
- Lamb Za’atar Panzanella Salad
- Caprese Avocado Toast
- Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad
- Brussels Sprouts Cornbread Panzanella Salad with Bacon
- Melted Mozzarella Caprese Crostini Toasts
- Microwave Egg Caprese Breakfast Cups
- Avocado Caprese Salad
- Grilled Caprese Skewers
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Peach Panzanella Salad with Burrata and Bacon
Ingredients
- 3-4 slices bacon
- 3 cups sourdough bread cubes
- 2 peaches , thinly sliced
- Fresh lettuce leaves such as red leaf , butter lettuce or arugula
- 8 ounces fresh burrata cheese
- Basil leaves for garnish
- For the Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup golden balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon or seeded mustard
- 2 cloves garlic , pressed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool, then crumble into pieces. Add the sourdough cubes to the same pan used to cook the bacon and toast the cubes on all sides until golden. Transfer to a plate or bowl to cool and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- To assemble the salad, place the torn lettuce, bread, peach slices and burrata on a serving plate or bowl. Sprinkle with the bacon pieces and basil leaves and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Season with more kosher salt and pepper if you'd like.
- To Make the Vinaigrette
- Add all of the ingredients to a jar fitted with a lid and shake well until emulsified. There will be extra dressing that can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Nutrition
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I have to tell you what a hit this recipe was! I topped it with chicken and made it for a bunch of friends and we couldn’t stop raving about how great it was!
Happy to hear it was a success Carly!
Since I did not have peaches, I used an apple instead. This salad was delicious; however, next time I shop, I will buy peaches.
I’m glad you enjoyed Phyllis!
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Made this today, a huge hit. Also my first time having burrata. I added blackberries to the salad. No leftovers!
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This was our first time trying burrata and we love it. Thanks for the advice on how to ripen the peaches with bananas. It really worked! Also, the sourdough bites are delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
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This is the best looking panzanella ever! You had me at peach + burrata.. pure heaven!
thank you SO much for sharing!! you are the best and i adore you.
thank you for sharing this, very nice range of flavors and I’m easily sold when it comes to burrata!
Love! Love! Love! What an amazing combination!