Panzanella Sandwich
This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to every single summer. A panzanella sandwich takes everything we love about the classic Italian salad, those juicy tomatoes, good olive oil, shallot, basil, olives and a splash of red wine vinegar, and stuffs it all into bread for something that honestly feels a bit special. The tomatoes soak into the bread and create this incredible, flavour-packed bite that's tangy, rich and fresh all at once. It's the kind of lunch that makes you feel like you're sitting outside somewhere in Tuscany rather than at your kitchen table. Make it this weekend, trust us.
Before You Start
- Large mixing bowl
- Tomato mixture needs 15–30 minutes to marinate before assembly
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot
- 3 cloves garlic
- a few basil leaves
- handful of fresh green olives
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tub of good quality plant-based burrata
- handful of rocket
- 4 slices of thick, good quality sourdough bread
Method
Prepare the ingredients
- Peel and very finely dice the shallot and slice 2 of the garlic cloves, then place both into a large mixing bowl.
- Finely slice the basil leaves and olives and add to the bowl.
- Slice the tomatoes into nice thick round slices and add to the bowl.
- Add a good dash of olive oil, a big pinch of salt and pepper, and the red wine vinegar.
- Mix well until everything is coated in the liquid, adjust the seasoning to taste, and leave to one side until needed.
Toast the bread
- Toast the bread before drizzling one side of each slice with a little olive oil and rubbing with the remaining garlic clove.
Prepare the sandwiches
- Add a few tomato slices over the oiled sides of the bread slices.
- Spread a good amount of the plant-based burrata over the top with the back of a spoon.
- Top with some rocket and a good amount of the mixture from the tomato bowl before finishing with the final piece of toast.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Variations
- Use ripe tomatoes: This recipe lives or dies by your tomatoes. We always go for the ripest, most flavourful ones we can find, vine tomatoes or big heirlooms work brilliantly here.
- Let it marinate: Don't rush the resting step. Even 10 minutes makes a big difference to how everything comes together. If you've got 30 minutes, even better.
- Bread matters: A sturdy ciabatta or sourdough is the move here. Soft sandwich bread will just go soggy, and not in a good way. You want something that can handle all that lovely tomato juice.
Why This Works
The trick here is letting the tomato mixture sit and marinate before you build the sandwich. That resting time is everything. The shallot softens, the vinegar mellows, and the tomatoes release their juices so that when it all hits the bread, it soaks in and becomes something way more than the sum of its parts. Good tomatoes and decent olive oil really do make the difference here, so don't skimp.