About this recipe
Panzanella is a traditional Italian bread salad, usually made in the summer with tomatoes, cucumbers, and stale bread tossed in olive oil and vinegar. This recipe keeps the same idea but adapts it for autumn produce.
Think crunchy apples, hearty broccoli, sweet beets, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts. It’s fresh, filling, and makes the perfect fall salad idea for lunch, dinner, or even as a holiday side dish. For this salad, I used mixed spring greens and broccoli florets. I love eating raw broccoli, do you? And it’s the best salad. This isn’t your summer tomato-only panzanella. Think of it as a fall harvest twist.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- A fall twist on a classic Italian panzanella.
- Uses seasonal produce you probably already have at home.
- The perfect balance of cozy + fresh (bread, nuts, veggies, and a bright vinaigrette).
- Ideal for Thanksgiving or holiday tables.
- An easy way to use up day-old bread or crackers.
Ingredient notes
- Bread or crackers: Use day-old sourdough, ciabatta, or a box of rosemary sea salt crackers like I did. Stale bread works best so it doesn’t turn soggy.
- Greens: Mixed greens, baby spinach, or arugula. For a heartier bite, try shredded kale or cabbage.
- Veggies
- Fruit: Thinly sliced apple and pomegranate seeds.
- Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, or even pepitas.
- Dressing: A simple red wine vinaigrette with shallots, olive oil, and maple syrup ties it all together.
How to make (with variations)
- Prepare the vegetables: Slice the apple, shave the carrots, and cut the broccoli into small florets. Use raw or roasted beets.
- Toast the bread: Cube stale bread, drizzle with olive oil, and toast in the oven until golden. Or skip and use crackers.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a jar, shake together shallots, vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble: Place greens, veggies, fruit, bread/crackers, and nuts on a large platter.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle with vinaigrette, toss gently, and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Variations:
- Add chickpeas or lentils for protein.
- Swap in pears or persimmons instead of apples.
- Add goat cheese or feta for a creamier version.
- Toss in roasted squash for a cozier fall harvest salad.
Tips, tricks & other recipes
- If your bread isn’t stale, toast it longer so it stays crisp.
- This salad is best eaten right away, but leftovers keep for 1 day in the fridge.
- Make the vinaigrette in advance — it keeps up to 5 days and gets better as it sits. You can substitute it with Balsamic Vinaigrette or Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
- Don’t skip the 10-minute rest after dressing; it lets the bread soak up flavor without turning mushy.
- Here are some of my other favorite salad recipes that I’ve posted over the years: Summer salad with cherries, salad with magic cilantro dressing, Healthy vegan Caesar salad, Mexican Quinoa Salad, and a Brussels sprout salad.
Fall Harvest Panzanella Salad Recipe | Best Fall Salad Idea
Ingredients
- 4-6 handfuls of mixed greens
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 apple thinly sliced
- 1 carrot peeled and shaved into ribbons
- ¾ cup pomegranate seeds
- 2-3 beets, raw sliced
- ¼ chopped walnuts
- 4 cups of cubed bread (about ½ of a standard loaf of sourdough or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes)OR2 to 2 ½ cups of hearty crackers
Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Assemble the salad: Arrange the greens, broccoli, apple slices, carrot ribbons, beets, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and bread (or crackers) on a large platter or in a wide salad bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a small jar with a lid, combine the shallots, red wine vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Shake well until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Dress the salad: Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over the salad. Gently toss so every bite gets coated.
- Rest and serve: Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes so the bread can soak up the flavors, then serve right away.
Notes
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
- Prep ahead: Slice veggies and make the vinaigrette up to 1 day in advance. Store them separately in the fridge.
- Bread or crackers: Toast bread cubes ahead of time and keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Add them just before serving. If using crackers, add at the very last moment so they stay crisp.
- Leftovers: This salad is best eaten fresh, but it will keep in the fridge for about 1 day. The bread will soften, so for the best texture, add a handful of fresh greens and a few extra toasted bread cubes when serving again.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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I’m Ale Graf, a Mexican living in Texas and the creator of AleCooks and Piloncillo&Vainilla. I share easy, family-friendly recipes—some Mexican, mostly plant-based—that can be enjoyed all day, every day. My focus is on recipes that bring people together around the table, making mealtime simple, delicious and meaningful. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino, and my recipes have been featured in numerous online magazines and publications.
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