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Bon Appétit

Spring Panzanella

4.7

(44)

Spring panzanella salad recipe in a serving dish
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Pearl Jones, props by Nicole Louie

There’s no denying that panzanella made with peak-season juicy tomatoes and crispy-gone-soggy bread is one of summer’s greatest dishes. But we don’t think we should have to wait until the weather warms to enjoy such an iconic dish. Enter this herbaceous, crunchy version that features all of our favorite spring vegetables, a tangy buttermilk dressing, and slabs of bread fried in olive oil. You be the judge, but we think it’s just as satisfying and delicious as the original. (Can’t find some of the vegetables? No problem! Double up on what’s available—just aim for about the same amount of green things overall.)

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1

garlic clove

2

lemons

¼

cup buttermilk

8

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1

English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1½” pieces

4

scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal

6

oz. sugar snap peas, trimmed, thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 2 cups)

2

1”-thick slices round country-style bread

1

bunch asparagus, trimmed, sliced on a diagonal into 2” pieces

1

cup (packed) tender herb leaves with tender stems (dill, mint, basil and/or parsley)

4

oz. feta

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Finely grate garlic and the zest of 1 lemon into a large bowl. Slice both lemons in half and squeeze their juice into the bowl. Add buttermilk and 6 Tbsp. oil and whisk to combine. Season dressing with salt and lots of pepper.

    Step 2

    Lightly crush cucumber on a cutting board with a rolling pin or wine bottle. Add cucumber, scallions, and peas to dressing and toss well to combine. Let sit while you fry the bread and asparagus.

    Step 3

    Pour remaining 2 Tbsp. oil into a skillet large enough to fit both slices of bread in a single layer. Add bread and set over medium heat. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown and crisp underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn bread over and cook just to lightly fry on the other side, about 2 minutes. Season both sides of bread with salt. Transfer to a plate.

    Step 4

    Arrange asparagus in same skillet, season with salt, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until bright green and blistered in some spots, but still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add to salad.

    Step 5

    Tear bread into 1½” pieces and add to salad. Toss to evenly coat and help bread soak up some of the dressing. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Add herbs to salad and toss once more.

    Step 6

    Divide salad among shallow bowls, reserving any dressing and juices that pool at the bottom of bowl. Break feta into large pieces and nestle into salad in each bowl. Drizzle reserved dressing and juices over.

Explore Bon AppétitSaladMediterraneanAsparagusVegetableSugar Snap PeaPeaCucumberButtermilkSpringQuickEasyMainSideVegetarianNut-FreeEasterLunchDinner
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Reviews (44)

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  • Wonderful dinner salad. However, I think one lemon is enough, and two large garlic cloves add the perfect touch.

    • verner

    • West Palm Beach

    • 7/14/2022

  • So bright, fresh and delicious! Perfect meal for when it's too hot to have the oven on. The store didn't have asparagus so I subbed with green beans and it was great. The lemons I had were large so I only used 1. Will definitely make again.

    • Alison

    • Philadelphia, PA

    • 4/16/2022

  • I love this salad and I’m not a big salad person. So much flavor. I like to do mine more classic with tomatoes and cucumbers and I add prosciutto and burrata!

    • Kari

    • Napa, CA

    • 3/18/2022

  • It may not look like much, from the ingredient list, but this dish is amazingly good. The dressing is light and tasty, and all the veggies are perfect together. We've made it twice now. Both times used ½ basil, ½ flat leaf parsley. The lemon was pretty big so I only used one, and the garlic seemed a little small so I used two. Yum.

    • JC

    • Eugene, OR

    • 7/4/2021

  • Hi Molly, me and louise both loved the dish tremendously. We both love you and your fun personality. Sorry that BA are all racist scum :( keep it up with the aspergus

    • Panza Nella

    • Italy

    • 5/7/2021

  • So yummy! Our small grocer was out of buttermilk, so I used plain yogurt with a splash of milk to loosen it up a bit. Cut back on the lemon and only used the juice of half, mostly because my husband hates lemon and also because prior reviews noted it was a bit too tangy. For herbs we used a lot of dill, basil and parsley, and a little mint. Super fresh and delicious, and enough to fill our family of 3 for dinner.

    • Rebecca

    • Chicago

    • 4/15/2021

  • This recipe was amazing! I was doubtful, I didn't think it would be anything special, but the dressing and the bread made it so satisfying. The cucumbers and the feta was the perfect pairing. I recommend using a large garlic clove, or two small ones, the garlic added such a nice touch. Like others, I only put the juice of one lemon, not two. To make it a meal, I added faro (italian grain) and roasted almonds. Will 100% do it again :)

    • Anonymous

    • Ottawa, Canada

    • 3/27/2021