By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 4
109 cal · 40 min
Easy Panzanella
Recipe GLPR8f7c2e4437c438
A vibrant Mediterranean bread salad featuring ripe tomatoes, briny olives, and capers combined with fresh basil and red onion. Toasted sourdough bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil is tossed in at the end, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. Perfect as a light side dish or vegetarian main.
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Ingredients
6 ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
8 kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 tablespoon small capers, drained
2 tablespoons red onion, finely sliced
6-8 large fresh basil leaves, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 thick slices of sourdough bread
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the quartered tomatoes, pitted kalamata olives, drained capers, finely sliced red onion, minced fresh basil, and salt. Toss gently to mix all ingredients together.
Drizzle half of the teaspoon of olive oil over the tomato mixture and toss to coat evenly. Set the bowl aside at room temperature.
Toast the two thick slices of sourdough bread until golden and crispy using a grill, oven, or toaster. Once toasted, rub the cut side of each half garlic clove onto each bread slice, then drizzle each slice with the remaining half teaspoon of olive oil.
Cut the garlic-rubbed, toasted bread into large chunks.
Allow the tomato salad to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and meld together.
Just before serving, add the bread chunks to the tomato mixture and toss gently to combine. Divide among four plates and serve immediately.
Comments
Panzanella is a smart choice for Charlotte summers, when farmers' market tomatoes peak and sourdough is standard grocery fare at every chain from Walmart to Harris Teeter. The ingredient list is tight: tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, red onion, basil, salt, sourdough, garlic, and olive oil—all available at any major grocer without a detour, and costs run $12 to $14 for four servings, mostly driven by good tomatoes and olives. The stated 40 minutes is honest for cubing bread and chopping vegetables, though you'll want ripe tomatoes that yield quickly to the knife. The real caveat is seasonality: this is a peak-summer dish that relies on tomato quality, and it does not reheat well—it's a same-night meal that softens and weeps if held overnight, so save it for when you can eat fresh.
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