This Winter Panzanella Salad just may change the way you think of salad during the colder months! With a colorful medley of winter vegetables, garlicky toasted sourdough, and juicy pomegranate seeds, this seasonally-inspired vegan panzanella salad is sure to warm your soul even on the coldest of days!
Although the winter months may not be the time of year you typically find yourself craving a salad, this recipe is here to change all that!
Classic Panzanella Salad is traditionally a summer dish made with fresh tomatoes, onions, crusty bread, olive oil, vinegar, and basil. This version changes things up with produce that's in season during winter months.
This warm twist on the classic dish features a colorful combination of kale, carrots, and Brussels sprouts tossed with perfectly seasoned sourdough bread cubes, vegan Parmesan, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar and topped with pomegranate arils.
Winter panzanella is a great dish for parties and potlucks and tastes delicious served warm or at room temperature. In other words, it just might become your new favorite winter salad!
For more cozy, one-pot dishes perfect for wintertime, check out my Tuscan Pasta Skillet Bake and Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup.
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Why You'll Love This Winter Panzanella Salad Recipe
- A warm and comforting vegetable dish that's easy to make in one skillet.
- Packed with both flavor and nutrition.
- Versatile and the perfect way to enjoy winter produce!
Ingredients
Here are a few notes about the ingredients you'll need. See the recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
For the Bread
- Olive Oil - Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Sourdough Bread - Your favorite homemade, store-bought, or bakery loaf, cut into bite-size cubes. If you're not a fan of sourdough, feel free to use another Italian bread like ciabatta.
- Garlic - Minced garlic adds irresistible flavor to the toasted bread.
- Thyme - Fresh, chopped thyme leaves season the bread cubes. Or sub rosemary.
- Salt & Pepper - Add a generous pinch of each while toasting the bread in the pan.
For the Salad
- Olive Oil - For sautéing the veggies and enhancing the flavors. For a richer salad, drizzle the finished dish with additional extra-virgin olive oil.
- Onion - Adds lightly sweet and savory notes. I like yellow onion or shallots. Feel free to use another variety. Part of the beauty of this dish is using up what you have!
- Veggies - I used a combination of fresh Brussels sprouts, carrots, and red kale, but feel free to change it up! Delicata or butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnips, Swiss chard, endive, and cabbage are also great choices.
Tip! Just be sure to chop harder squashes and sweet potato into smaller bites so that cook time is similar for all of the veggies. - Vegetable Broth - A little bit of broth deglazes the pan and softens the vegetables. Use homemade, store-bought, or low-sodium version if preferred.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese - You can use a store-bought cheese or homemade, like my nut- and seed-based vegan parm.
- Lemon Juice & Balsamic Vinegar - Just a bit of each is all you need to add great acidity.
- Pomegranate Arils - Adds a hint of sweetness and a pop of color. Or sub your favorite dried fruit like cranberries, currants, or cherries.
How to Make Winter Panzanella
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and toast the cubed bread until golden brown. The bread should be nicely toasted on the outside but still somewhat soft and chewy on the inside.
Add the minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stirring constantly, cook for about one minute. Transfer the bread mixture to a large serving bowl or spread out on a baking sheet.
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Tip! Wipe out the skillet to remove any remaining garlic and thyme bits so they don't burn.
Next, sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until lightly seared. Season with a generous pinch of salt.
Stir in the carrots, kale, and vegetable broth. Cover and cook on medium-low until the veggies are fork tender, about 4 minutes.
Add grated vegan cheese followed by a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat and toss the vegetable mixture with the bread. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Garnish with pomegranate arils and serve.
Variations and Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Replace the sourdough with your favorite gluten-free bread.
- Carrots: Swap the carrots for parsnip, butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
- Brussels sprouts: Cauliflower, broccoli, broccolini, cabbage, radicchio, and bok choy are also in season and easily incorporated.
- Pomegranate: Don't have pomegranate? The dish also works well with seasonal fruits like chopped pear, apple, or clementines. Dried fruit is another way to add a burst of tartness and sweetness. Try dried cranberries, cherries, currants, or chopped apricots instead of pomegranate seeds.
- Dressing: I wanted to keep prep really simple and make it easy for you to tweak the flavors. However, instead of simply adding lemon and balsamic, feel free to dress the panzanella with a proper salad dressing, such as red or white wine vinaigrette or my fat-free Italian dressing.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan winter panzanella is a perfect dish to serve alongside mains like seitan roast, chickpea loaf, or tofu nuggets. And it's a lovely side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you're entertaining guests, start with a luxurious vegan cheese board or fresh vegetable tray with a variety of dips.
You can also toss in white beans or chickpeas, toasted walnuts or pine nuts, and/or pumpkin seeds to make the salad more filling and enjoy it as a light meal.
How to Store
This Tuscan-inspired bread salad is best enjoyed right away, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. If you know you'll have leftovers, reserve some of the bread and store it separately from the vegetables. Then warm up the bread in the oven or toaster oven to crisp it up again.
FAQ
The word "panzanella" is believed to be derived from a combination of the Italian word for bread, "pane," and the word for a bowl or deep plate, "zanella."
There are a few ways that a classic Tuscan panzanella meets the definition of salad. It includes a dressing, consists of chopped, small bites of food (including vegetables), and is usually served cold. Though this winter panzanella pushes the boundary since it isn't served cold, it does meet other common characteristics of salad.
The bread in panzanella can become soggy if it sits in the salad for too long. It's a good idea to wait and toss the bread with the veggies just before serving.
I hope you enjoy this winter panzanella recipe! If you give it a try be sure to leave a comment below. And if you're on instagram, tag a photo of your winter panzanella salad with @myquietkitchen. I always love seeing your creations!
More Salad Recipes
Recipe
Winter Panzanella (One Pan, Vegan)
Equipment
- cast iron skillet - 12-inch/large
Ingredients
For the bread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces sourdough, cubed - about 3 thick slices or 3.5 cups of cubes
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 rounded teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- salt & pepper
Other ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 14 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into coins - or chopped butternut squash or sweet potato
- approx. ½ bunch kale, thick stems removed, chopped - any variety
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- salt & pepper
- vegan Parmesan cheese - as much as you like!
- 1 small lemon
- balsamic vinegar, to taste
- ½ cup pomegranate arils - or dried cranberries (soak in water to soften)
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the cubed bread and toast until lightly golden on most sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add the garlic, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, cook for about 1 minute, careful not to let the garlic burn. Transfer the bread mixture to a large serving bowl or spread out on a baking sheet.
- Use a damp towel to remove any garlic and thyme bits from the skillet. Over medium heat, add the oil. Saute the onion until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until lightly seared. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the carrots, kale, and vegetable broth to the pan, and give everything a good stir. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or just until the vegetables are fork tender. Remove from heat.
- Add plenty of grated vegan Parm, if using, juice from the lemon, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, then toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt/acidity/cheese, as desired.
- Transfer the vegetables to the serving bowl, and toss with the bread. Garnish with pomegranate arils and serve warm.
Notes
- Gluten-free: Replace the sourdough with your favorite gluten-free bread. Even cornbread is great!
- Brussels sprouts: Cauliflower, broccoli, broccolini, cabbage, radicchio, and bok choy are also in season and easily incorporated.
- Fruit: Instead of pomegranate, use other seasonal fruits like chopped pear, apple, persimmon, or clementines. Other options: dried cranberries, cherries, currants, or chopped apricots.
- Dressing: I wanted to keep prep really simple and make it easy for you to tweak the flavors. However, instead of simply adding lemon and balsamic, feel free to dress the panzanella with an actual salad dressing, such as red or white wine vinaigrette or my fat-free Italian dressing.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
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