Peach Panzanella Salad

This summery peach panzanella salad is loaded down with crisp toasted bread, juicy peach slices, sweet tomatoes, and lots of fresh basil. A flavorful shallot dressing drizzled on top adds so much flavor!

You’re looking at our summer 2026 salad obsession. We always have one and somehow it almost always ends up being a panzanella salad.

I know, shocking, consider 50% of the salad is made up of bread, LOL.

This salad didn’t come to play in the flavor department though. We’ve got a mess of summery peaches, lots of tomatoes, fresh-picked basil from my garden, and a delightfully-oniony shallot dressing coating every inch of this salad goodness.

I mean, I’m almost embarrassed to admit how many times this salad is on our dinner agenda these days but can ya blame me?

This Panzanella Salad Features…

• Juicy summer peach slices and ripe tomato cubes
• Crisp toasted bread cubes
• Lots of herby fresh basil and fresh mozzarella cubes
• A flavorful sauteed shallot white balsamic vinaigrette

Making the Panzanella Salad

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Olive oil
• Shallot
• White balsamic vinegar
• Honey
• Dijon mustard
• Dried basil
• Bread cubes
• Tomatoes
• Peaches
• Fresh basil
• Fresh mozzarella

Choosing Your Bread

A hearty artisan loaf of bread works best for panzanella salad. Try French bread, sourdough, ciabatta, or another type of rustic bread.

Ideally, you will want to choose one of these drier varieties of bread without much fat in it because the bread cubes get toasted until crisp and completely dried out before adding to the salad.

Tips for Perfect Panzanella Salad

1. Sauté shallot for dressing – a quick sauté in olive oil to soften the shallot will help it break down in the dressing.
2. Blend dressing in blender or food processor – either of these tools work great for making the dressing.
3. Toast bread at 400F – toss the bread cubes in olive oil, salt, and pepper and allow to roast 8-10 minutes until bread is a light golden brown and dried out.
4. Tear basil into bite-sized pieces – this is a very basil-heavy salad and you will want bigger pieces so you get a burst of basil in every bite.
5. Assemble salad just before serving – for best results, do not assemble salad until just before serving. This will keep the bread crisp and all the ingredients fresh.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.

• Use another stone fruit – try plums, nectarines, or apricots in place of the peaches.
• Skip the cheese – for a more traditional panzanella salad, skip the mozzarella.
• Add more veggies – try adding diced cucumber, avocado, sweet pepper, or red onion.
• Use a bottled dressing – try balsamic or Italian in place of the homemade recipe.

Make Ahead Tips

Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.

• Make the dressing – blend the dressing and store in refrigerator up to 1 week.
• Prep the salad ingredients – chop the tomatoes and peaches and store in refrigerator up to 4 days (wait until just before serving to tear basil).
• Assembly – when ready to assemble salad, toast the bread per recipe instructions and toss salad ingredients together with dressing.

Every component of this salad screams summer produce and we are HERE for it! Between the crisp toasted bread, the juicy peaches, and tomatoes, and those little bursts of basil in every bite, it’s just all of summer’s finest on one plate.

100% the kinda salad everyone can get behind.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More peach salads you’re going to want to try next!

• Grilled Peach Burrata Salad
• Summer Peach Caprese Salad
• Hot Honey Peach Feta Salad