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Peach and tomato panzanella with lemon and herbs
youryum.com/recipes/peach-and-tomato-panzanella-with-lemon-and-herbs · serves 4

A panzanella for peaches that are actually ripe

Juicy peaches and tomatoes soak into crisp bread while lemon, basil and red onion keep the bowl sharp.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 27 August 2026
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Peach and tomato panzanella with crisp bread lemon and fresh herbs
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Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Total
25 min
Serves
4
Per serving
332kcal
Effort
Easy

Panzanella is often described as a way to use stale bread, which is true but undersells it. The bread is there to catch the juice from ripe tomatoes and peaches, then keep just enough edge to make each forkful interesting.

Toast it until the corners are hard, but do not turn it into croutons. Ten minutes in the bowl is what you want: crisp outside, seasoned and slightly yielding in the middle.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Equipment

  • Large baking tray
  • Large serving bowl

Method

  1. Toast the bread

    Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Toss the bread with two tablespoons of oil, pepper and half the salt. Spread it on a tray and bake for eight to ten minutes, turning once, until the edges are crisp and the centres still have a little give.

    Let it cool for five minutes. Very hot bread drinks the dressing before the tomatoes have a chance to contribute their own juice.

    Hands tossing torn bread with olive oil on a baking tray beside peaches and tomatoes

  2. Season the onion

    Put the sliced onion in the serving bowl with the lemon juice and the remaining salt. Rub it between your fingers for a few seconds, then leave it for ten minutes. This takes away the raw bite without making the onion floppy.

  3. Add the fruit

    Add the tomatoes and peaches with the lemon zest and the remaining oil. Turn them gently so their juices start forming the dressing at the bottom of the bowl. Taste one tomato; if it is bland, add salt now rather than hoping the bread will fix it.

  4. Let the bread drink

    Add the toasted bread and fold from the bottom. Leave the bowl for ten minutes, folding once more halfway through. The bread should be dressed but not wet enough to collapse.

  5. Finish with herbs

    Scatter over the herbs and serve. Keep a little of the crispest bread for the top so the first mouthful has both textures.

Bread peaches tomatoes red onion lemon basil and parsley for panzanella
The bread can be stale. The fruit cannot be an afterthought.

When the salad goes wrong

If the bowl is watery, the tomatoes were either cut too early or salted too heavily before the bread went in. Drain a little liquid, add fresh toasted bread, and taste again. If the bread is hard in the centre, it needed another few minutes in the tomato juice; fold it through and wait. If the peaches are collapsing, they were too ripe for slicing. Keep the soft pieces for the dressing and cut a firmer one over the top next time.

These are texture problems, not reasons to throw the bowl away.

For a colder-weather version, replace peaches with halved grapes or roasted plums. The method stays the same, but the fruit should still have enough acidity to sit beside the tomatoes. A few salted almonds make the substitution feel intentional rather than like a pantry emergency.

What to serve beside it

  • Grilled courgettes or aubergines, served warm.
  • White beans tossed with lemon and olive oil.
  • A fried egg when the salad is dinner.

The bread decides the timing

Use bread with a crust and an uneven crumb because the holes catch the tomato juice without turning the whole piece to paste. Tear it rather than cutting neat cubes; torn edges absorb dressing at different speeds, which gives the bowl some texture. If the bread is fresh, leave it uncovered before toasting so the surface dries. If it is already stale, use a shorter toast and watch the corners because they burn first. Dress the tomatoes and let them stand while the bread cools. Warm bread drinks too much oil and makes the herbs wilt. Add the herbs after the ten-minute pause, then fold the pieces through once. The salad should look a little rough. That is the useful part. A smooth, evenly coated bowl usually means the bread has been handled until every piece is soft. Add lemon at the table when the tomatoes are sweet, but use less if the fruit is already sharp.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 332 kcal
Protein 7 g
Carbohydrate 47 g
Fibre 6 g
Fat 14 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I make panzanella ahead?
Toast the bread and slice the onion up to four hours ahead. Keep the fruit separate and mix everything ten to fifteen minutes before eating.
Do the peaches need peeling?
No. The skin gives the soft fruit a little structure and saves you a fiddly job.
What can I use instead of basil?
Parsley, mint or tarragon all work. Use a small handful rather than a whole bunch; the herbs should lift the fruit, not hide it.

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