One of the best flavors of summer is a juicy, red ripe, garden tomato. When you have tomatoes coming out of your garden day-after-day, you need some great tomato recipes. What’s a better pairing than tomatoes and green beans in the summer? This Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad with Red Wine Vinegar is the perfect summer recipe to celebrate the tomato harvest!
Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad
Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad
Panzanella salad is a traditional summer salad in the Tuscan and central regions of Italy when tomatoes are in season. Italians soak crusty stale bread in water and then squeeze out the water and add olive oil, tomatoes, red wine vinegar and other ingredients to their liking such as onions and basil.
Italian bread in Italy is very different from it is in America. The crust is very hard and the bread is more chewy. Our version of Italian bread would become mushy if soaked in water. Add just the right amount of olive oil and vinegar to the bread and letting it soak up the juices makes the bread in this salad really delicious. I’ve seen my relatives make a variation of this recipe on one of my visits to Italy. I’ve also seen Panzanella on menus in southern Italy on the Amalfi Coast.
Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad
Nonetheless, this recipe will give you the flavors of summer in Italy. I just LOVE the olive oil, red wine vinegar and tomato juice that forms at the bottom of this salad! I must have it. It does not get tossed in our house. It’s the same wonderful juice that forms after a tomato and cucumber or green bean salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar. YUM!
How to Make Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad with Red Wine Vinegar:
This recipe doesn’t take long to make however the green beans need to cool before serving. The dressing is just olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. I like to mix that first and then pour it over the cubed, one day old crusty Italian bread and room temperature green beans. It’s really simple to make and brings together summer flavors. It’s a little taste of Italy!
When your summer garden is overflowing with tomatoes, make a simply delicious Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad with Red Wine Vinegar for dinner. The juicy, red ripe tomatoes juice soaks up the crusty Italian bread. The mixture of juices that forms from the tomatoes, olive oil and red wine vinegar are tasty for one’s palette. The fresh green beans are a perfect accompaniment to the garden tomatoes. This panzanella salad brings together the flavors of summer!
Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad
More Recipes from No Plate Like Home:
The Best Creamy Dill Potato Salad
The Best Creamy Dill Red Skin Potato Salad
I took this recipe to Meal Plan Monday 126.
Tuscan Green Bean Panzanella Salad with Red Wine Vinegar
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans ends trimmed and cut in half
- 4 cups of 2" cubed crusty Italian bread one day old
- 3 tomatoes cut in wedges
oil and vinegar dressing:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium pot, cook green beans in boiling water for a few minutes until tender. Drain and let come to room temperature. Meanwhile, prep the bread, tomatoes and dressing.
- In a large bowl, add bread, cooled green beans and tomatoes.
- In a separate small bowl, stir oil and vinegar dressing ingredients and then pour over bread, tomatoes and green beans. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of things Americans would not like in Italian cooking.
Eel, tripe, lamb brains (I’m totally serious) alcohol soaked cakes and filled chocolates, just to name a few.
You’d never get served this in the tourist areas but, check out my travel category. I’ve written a couple posts on my numerous travels to Italy.
I love simple, wholesome dishes like this – and this one looks lovely! That’s interesting about real Italian bread versus Italian bread in the US. When I first read about soaking the bread in water, I couldn’t imagine how that could possibly yield an appetizing result. I’ve never been to Italy but I’m really hoping to go someday!
I had a tomato salad with dinner and I just love the EVOO, red wine vinegar and tomato juice combo! Good to the last drop!
This looks so scrumptious! I could eat this all day, every day during the summer!
Mollie
Thanks for choosing my recipe as a feature. I was so, so happy to be chosen. I feel special now.
Yes, I’d like to try to grow some in our garden. Sadly, ground hogs got to our zucchini.
Green beans are a favorite veggie – you can tell by all my posts! Same goes with tomatoes… I’ve never made this salad, something similar but without the bread. Need to try it while the veggies are fresh at the markets.
I love it! Definitely will be making this sometime this Summer, I grow both green beans and tomatoes. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Thanks! It’s a great summer salad for tomato lovers.
Thank you. Green Bean and tomato salad is one of my favorite summer salads and adding bread can only make it better.
Thanks. I always like to bring a good dish to a party!
Thanks. The mixture of red wine vinegar and olive oil with the tomatoes is amazing.
Mmmmm! Such a delicious salad! Love Panzanella!
Let me tell you this – I dont like green beans at all and yet, I am drooling at this bowl of salad. Oh so delicious!! Thanks for sharing this at FF 🙂
That’s a great take on Panzanella. Looks so fresh and tasty!
Definitely going to try the green bean salad. Looks great.