Dairy Free | Fall | Gluten Free | Salads | Sides | Vegan
Fall Panzanella Salad
Fall panzanella salad has hearty massaged kale, crunchy fennel, toasted bread, roasted squash, sweet apple, and a shallot vinaigrette. This fall-inspired salad is full of texture and flavor.
Next try my fall harvest salad with cranberry vinaigrette, kale crunch salad, or butternut squash & feta salad with apple vinaigrette.
Ingredient Notes
- Delicata squash – this specific variety works really well for this salad because it cooks up fairly quickly compared to other squash and the skin is tender enough to eat.
- Crusty bread – sourdough, Tuscan, ciabatta, or baguette. I used sourdough bread.
- Curly kale – thinly sliced and massaged to tenderize it.
- Fennel bulb – thinly sliced adds a refreshing crunch.
- Apple – adds natural sweetness and rounds out the savory flavors in the salad.
- Pomegranate arils – for a pop of color and crunch.
- Shallot dressing – olive oil, sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, minced shallot, maple syrup, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Fall Panzanella Salad: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
- Roast squash. Add the thinly sliced squash to a bare baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Spread into an even layer and baked until tender with lightly golden brown edges.
- Toast bread. Add the cubed bread to a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper then spread into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Make dressing. In the same bowl whisk together olive oil, sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, minced shallot, and maple syrup. Season to taste with kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper.
- Massage kale. In a large bowl, add the chopped kale along with one tablespoon of the dressing. Use clean hands to massage it for about a minute to tenderize the leaves.
- Combine. In the large bowl with the massaged kale, add the roasted squash, sliced fennel and apple, toasted bread, and pomegranate aril. Toss with the dressing and chill for the flavors to develop before serving!
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this fall panzanella salad recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No delicata squash? – you can also use butternut squash but you’ll need to peel it first before roasting it.
- Make it gluten free – use your favorite gluten free bread.
- No curly kale? – lacinato, also called dino kale, will also work.
- No shallots? – you can also use red onion.
- No sherry vinegar? – use champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Add-ins – toasted pumpkin seeds or nuts: cashews, almonds, pecans, etc.
Helpful Tips
- Use stale bread. If your bread isn’t dried out, you’ll want to leave it out on the counter overnight. When it’s dry, it absorbs the dressing better.
- Remove the core from the fennel bulb before slicing as it’s too tough to chew.
- Use a mandoline slicer with a protective glove to thinly slice the fennel and apple. It makes a huge difference with the texture of the fennel. The blade is super sharp though, so make sure to use the glove so you don’t cut yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is panzanella?
Panzanella is a type of salad that originated in Tuscany, Italy as a way to use up stale bread. Although there are many variations, traditional panzanella has chunks of stale bread, onion, and ripe tomatoes that are tossed in a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing.
What if I don’t have any stale bread?
If possible leave it out on the counter the night before you bake it to help dry it out or bake the bread for a bit longer to dry it out further.
Is it necessary to toast the bread if it’s already stale?Â
Even if your bread is dried out, toasting it allows it to keep some texture without becoming completely soggy when mixed with the dressing.
More Fall Salad Recipes
Did you try this fall panzanella salad? If so, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!
Fall Panzanella Salad
Fall panzanella salad has hearty massaged kale, crunchy fennel, toasted bread, roasted squash, sweet apple, and a shallot vinaigrette. This fall-inspired salad is full of texture and flavors that all work well together.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1.25 pound delicata squash
- 4 cups cubed stale crusty bread see notes below
- olive oil
- 1 large bunch curly kale, hard stems removed and thinly sliced or 4 cups when sliced
- ½ large fennel bulb core removed and sliced paper thin using a mandoline
- 1 medium apple, sliced thinly a sweet, crisp variety preferred
- â…“ cup pomegranate arils
Shallot Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Roast squash. Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of the squash, then place one flat end on the cutting board to stabilize it. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and cut it into ¼-inch slices. If yours are large, cut them in half again so they're easier to eat once baked. Add to a bare baking sheet and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the slices into an even layer and bake for 20 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces through the flesh.
- Toast bread. Add the cubed bread to a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper then spread into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Make dressing. In the same bowl whisk together olive oil, sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, minced shallot, and maple syrup. Season to taste with kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper.
- Massage kale. In a large bowl, add the chopped kale along with one tablespoon of the dressing. Use clean hands to massage it for about a minute to tenderize the leaves.
- Combine. In the large bowl with the massaged kale, add the roasted squash, sliced fennel and apple, toasted bread, and pomegranate arils. Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine. Allow the panzanella to sit for at least 30 minutes so the flavors have time to meld and the bread can soak up some of the dressing.
Notes
Crusty bread – sourdough, Tuscan, ciabatta, or baguette. I used sourdough.
See the blog post for step-by-step photos, helpful tips, a make it your way section with substitutions and variations, and recipe FAQs.