Recipe right at the top! Scroll down for tips.
Easy Panzanella Recipe – Bruschetta in a Bowl:
Easy Panzanella Recipe - Bruschetta in a Bowl
5 minutes and 5 ingredients for a healthy summer lunch or dinner
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatoes
- 8 oz bread
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 1 oz kalamata olives pitted and sliced
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
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Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
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Slice bread into 1/2-inch slices.
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Drizzle sliced bread with 2 Tbsp olive oil and toast both sides in the skillet.
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Dice tomatoes in 1/2 inch pieces.
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Add tomatoes to a mixing bowl and add cracked pepper and remaining olive oil. Stir in olives and basil. Tear bread in 1/2 inch pieces and add to bowl. Mix and serve.
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Earn a $300 statement credit when you spend $3,000 in 6 months on a new American Express Blue Cash Preferred credit card: Apply for an American Express Card with my link for the $300 bonus here. Amex Blue Cash Preferred gives you 6% cashback at the grocery store, and 3% cashback on gas.
Budget Breakdown for this Easy Panzanella Recipe:
- $0.16 bread 8 oz. (Homemade sourdough bread costs $0.45 per 20-ounce loaf).
- $0.98 tomatoes 1 lb, Winco.
- $0.66 extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp (1/4 cup), $0.33 per ounce, Winco.
- $0.52 kalamata olives, 1 ounce (20 halves), $4.98 for 9.5 oz dry weight, Winco.
- $0.09 black peppercorns, 0.2 oz, $7.28 per lb, Winco. Check price on Amazon 1 lb black peppercorns.
- $0.00 basil (I grow my own basil; add $2 if you need to buy a basil plant, then propagate it so you never have to buy basil again.)
- $2.41 total for 26.5 ounces of Panzanella. That’s 9 cents per ounce.
One batch serves 4 with 6.5 ounce servings = about 300 calories, so it’s great for a light summer lunch, or serve as a side dish with grilled chicken, fish, or steak for added protein.
4 servings for a family meal = $0.60 per serving.
12 servings for a party salad/side dish = $0.20 per serving.
- A large serving spoon typically scoops 2 ounces, and party guests usually serve themselves one spoonful per dish, so 2 oz per person per side dish is an accurate portion size.
Tips for making panzanella:
- Don’t add the bread until you’re ready to serve.
- Don’t add salt or your tomatoes will release their liquid and your panzanella will be soggy.
Make ahead panzanella directions:
To prepare panzanella up to 24 hours before serving, layer in a mixing bowl in this order:
- kalamata olives (bottom)
- diced tomatoes
- cracked pepper
- basil (top)
- Don’t mix the ingredients together. Cover the bowl and leave on counter or refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
- The toasted bread can be made any time, even months in advance.
- Slice, oil, and toast the bread; tear into 1/2 inch cubes; keep separate from the other ingredients until ready to serve.
Amazon prices vs. Winco prices vs. Your grocery store prices:
Winco doesn’t publish its prices online, so I keep a price book and update it every week. Prices are accurate for Phoenix as of July, 2024. Check the Amazon prices, then check your favorite store’s online prices to find your best grocery deals.
All purpose flour: (for bread): $2.38 5 lbs, Winco. Check Amazon price on all purpose flour.
Roma tomatoes: $0.98 per lb, Winco. Check Amazon price on roma tomatoes.
Kalamata olives: $4.98 9.5 oz dry weight, Winco. Check Amazon price on kalamata olives.
Black peppercorns: $7.28 per lb bulk, Winco. Check Amazon price on 1 lb black peppercorns.
Live basil plant: $1.98 Winco. I wouldn’t buy a live basil plant from Amazon because I don’t want my plant sitting in a hot truck all day, but here are organic basil seeds. You can get a small basil plant for $1.98 in the Winco produce area, or if you have to buy those little plastic containers of cut basil, you can still propagate the stems. Most grocery stores and Home Depot, Lowes, etc. sell large basil plants for around $5. Large or small live basil, you get multiple basil plants in the one pot. Carefully separate the plants, and repot each basil plant in its own pot or in the ground.
Extra virgin olive oil: $21.98 2 liters Pompeian extra virgin olive oil, $0.33 per ounce, Winco. Check Amazon price on Pompeian extra virgin olive oil.
Earn a $300 statement credit when you spend $3,000 in 6 months on a new American Express Blue Cash Preferred credit card: Apply for an American Express Card with my link for the $300 bonus here. Amex Blue Cash Preferred gives you 6% cashback at the grocery store, and 3% cashback on gas.
