Pesto Panzanella Salad
Honestly, this is the salad we make when we want to genuinely impress people without spending all day in the kitchen. Panzanella is one of those Italian classics that just works, and our version takes it to another level with garlicky roasted butter beans, crispy bread chunks soaked in all those gorgeous tomato juices, and a proper hit of pesto running through everything. You get this amazing contrast of textures, soft jammy tomatoes, crunchy golden bread, creamy beans, and fresh basil, all coming together in one bowl. If you haven't made panzanella before, trust us on this one, tonight is the night.
Before You Start
- Large baking tray
- Large mixing bowl
- Powerful blender
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 800g mixed tomatoes - the more variety, the better!
- 100g large green pitted olives
- 50g toasted pine nuts
- 1 handful of basil leaves
- olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 x 400g can of butter beans drained
- 1 loaf of sourdough bread
- 1 large banana shallot
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp plant-based parmesan optional
- 30g basil leaves
- 100g toasted pine nuts
- Juice of 1 lemon
- salt to taste
Method
Bake the garlicky butter beans and bread
- Peel and finely dice the garlic cloves
- Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces
- Drain the butter beans and place into a large baking tray with the bread chunks, chopped garlic, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper
- Mix well until everything is coated in the oil and roast for 15-20 minutes
Make the salad base
- Very finely slice the shallots
- Finely slice the large tomatoes and roughly chop the small rounder ones
- Halve the olives
- Place the sliced shallots, tomatoes, olives and pine nuts into a large mixing bowl and mix well
- Pour in 5 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and mix well until everything is coated
- Place to one side while you make the rest of the salad
Make the pesto
- Place all of the ingredients into a powerful blender and pulse until the mixture comes together but is still a little chunky
- Taste and season
Time to serve
- Finely slice the remaining basil and mix through the salad (saving some for the top)
- Spoon onto a large serving plate and spoon over dollops of the pesto
- Top with pepper and some more chopped basil
Tips & Variations
- Get ahead on the bread: We find this works really well if you tear the bread a day before and leave it out to go slightly stale. It holds its texture better when roasting and soaks up the dressing without turning to mush.
- Swap the beans: Henry often throws in chickpeas instead of butter beans if that's what's in the cupboard. They roast up beautifully and give a slightly nuttier flavour that works just as well here.
- Use the best tomatoes you can find: This is a recipe where the tomatoes really matter. We go for a mix of heritage and cherry tomatoes when they're in season. Ripe, sweet, and a little jammy is exactly what you want.
Why This Works
The trick here is roasting the bread and butter beans together in garlicky olive oil so they both get a bit crispy and golden before hitting the salad. That way the bread soaks up the dressing without going completely soggy, you still get a bit of bite in every mouthful. The pesto ties everything together and gives it that rich, herby depth that makes this feel like way more than just a salad.