Coming through with another way to put your peaches to good use, by making this Grilled Peach Panzanella with Burrata. A great summer salad that’s equal parts delicious and satisfying.
If you’re in the mood for salad, then you’ll want to try my Tuna Couscous Salad, next!
Peach Panzanella with Burrata
That’s right, folks, no greens here. Unless you count the basil, but you get what I’m saying. Focaccia bread, ripe peaches with a little kiss of the grill, basil, and burrata, covered in a creamy balsamic dressing–do I have your attention, yet?
As the summer temperatures persist, the demand for minimal cooking increases. Salads seem to be the one of the few things we want to eat; the shorter the process in preparation, the better. So let’s mix things up a little bit and go for this peach panzanella with burrata.
What is Panzanella?
Essentially, it’s a (very tasty) Tuscan bread salad. Traditionally, Panzanella is made with juicy, ripe tomatoes, day old (or a few days old) stale bread, tossed in a bright vinaigrette. It’s a great way to upcycle rustic bread and no one complains about eating a bread salad.
Some iterations include cheese–burrata, parmesan, feta, mozzarella and feature ingredients like cucumbers, basil, and onions. The key to a great panzanella is to thoroughly dry out the stale bread, so as to have the perfect vessel to soak up the delicious dressing without turning it into mush.
This iteration calls for peaches, focaccia bread, and burrata as its key players in the salad game, paired with a creamy balsamic dressing. The textures of the focaccia, creamy burrata, smooth peaches all dance well together with the balsamic dressing, making it difficult to not make this on repeat.
What Makes this Panzanella So Great?
First and foremost, it’s a bread salad–need I say more? In case you still need a little convincing, here are a few other reasons you need to make this salad STAT:
- Gives you a good reason to put your in-season peaches to good use–and pair it with beautifully toasted bread.
- Addition of creamy burrata is every salad’s (and bread’s) dream.
- This summer salad is toothsome, lucious, bright and filling.
- Perfect as a main entree for lunch or dinner, or serve it as a side with your favorite grilled eats.
Best Bread For Making Panzanella
Good bread is key, here folks. Stale, day old, or a few days old bread is best. I’ll drop a few that make for great sponges, eager to soak up the juices from the peaches and dressing:
- Focaccia: My preferred choice in bread due to its sponge-like, chewy texture.
- French bread: Opt for a thicker loaf (not a baguette!). That soft center is the golden ticket.
- Ciabatta: Crusty, chewy–another great contender.
How to Make Peach Panzanella with Burrata
Time for the fun part:
- Make the creamy balsamic dressing Toss ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside for later use.
- Toast the bread: Tear bread into little bite-sized pieces. Coat with olive oil and salt, and give it a nice toast until perfectly golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Grill the peaches: Slice peaches into wedges and grill until each side has been kissed with grill marks.
- Panzanella assembly: Add grilled peaches, toasted bread, basil, burrata to a bowl and pour dressing over. Leave for a few minutes to allow bread to soak up juices and slightly soften. Top with Maldon salt flakes if you’re feeling it.
Looking for More Good Eats?
We’ve Been Making This Grilled Peach Panzanella on Repeat
And we’re not mad if you can’t get enough of it, either! Leave a comment below and share your love for this recipe on Instagram and tag @whisperofyum #whisperofyum. We love to see you get down in the kitchen. Happy eating!
Ingredients
Toasted Bread
- 3 heaping cups bite-sized torn focaccia, day-old or few days old
- Quality olive oil
- Kosher salt
Salad Ingredients
- 1 pound ripe yellow peaches, cut into wedges
- 1 4-ounce burrata ball, removed from refrigerator 15 minutes before salad assembly.
- ½ cup torn basil leaves
- Maldon salt flakes
- Avocado oil spray
Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- 1 tablespoon quality olive oil
- 2¼ teaspoons quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon maple syrup
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat grill pan to med/high and preheat oven to 400°F
2. Start by making the dressing. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and give it a good whisk. Set aside for later use.
3. Tear focaccia bread into small bite-sized pieces and add to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil and season with kosher salt. Mix well so that bread bites have an even coating of olive oil.
4. Place on a baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes or until bread is completely dried out and edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
5. Once grill pan gets hot, spray with avocado oil spray. Add peaches, cut-side down. Grill 2 minutes each side, or until each side begins to caramelize. Place on a plate and set aside.
Assemble Panzanella
1. In a salad bowl add grilled peaches and toasted bread bites. Top with fresh basil and add torn pieces of burrata. Drizzle dressing over bread bites and leave for 5 minutes to allow bread to absorb dressing and soften a bit (don’t worry, it won’t get mushy).
2. Top with Maldon salt flakes.