• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Inside The Rustic Kitchen
  • Recipe Index
  • FREE Italian Food Club
  • Tips & Tricks
  • About Us & Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • My Recipe Box
  • About us
  • Subscribe!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Tuna Panzanella - Italian Bread Salad

    Published: Apr 7, 2019, Last updated: Jul 30, 2019 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

    442 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    Recipe Print

    Panzanella Salad made with seared tuna steaks, juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes, salty olives and crunchy cucumber. It's tossed with a simple and easy dressing and homemade croutons. This salad can be prepped ahead making it perfect for lunch on the go or a light dinner.

    An overhead shot of a tuna panzanella salad on a large plate with tomatoes and basil scattered around

    This is by far the BEST tuna panzanella salad I've ever had and believe me when I say I've had my fair share of panzanella in my time.

    This is totally an amped up, not so traditional version (more about that below) but it doesn't go overboard with fancy ingredients and it still takes less than 15 minutes to make from start to finish.

    I've made a ton of tuna panzanella salads with canned tuna and although it's really delicious I decided to swap it for fresh tuna steaks and omg the flavour is insane. Best of all this salad is super healthy and fresh so you can whip it up and serve it any time of the day.

    Traditional Panzanella Salad Vs Tuna Panzanella 

    So there a good few differences between this salad and a traditional version here's what you need to know:

    • Traditional Panzanella: a traditional Panzanella doesn't contain any tuna although it's a popular addition throughout Italy. The bread is also traditionaly soaked in water (stale bread) to rehydrate and then is crumbled into the rest of the ingredients. 
    • Our Tuna Panzanella: the seared tuna steaks and ciabatta bread croutons are the main differences here. The croutons are fun and give a delicious, crunchy texture to the salad whereas the tuna steaks give it an amped up modern feel making it a great dinner option that's both filling and healthy.

    How to Make Tuna Panzanella Salad - Step By Step

    Place the ciabatta bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, freshly grated parmesan and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes until crisp (photos 1 & 2).

    Drizzle the tuna steak in olive oil just to lightly coat and sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Place on a hot griddle pan for 2 minutes each side, it should still be pink in the middle. Remove and cut into slices (photos 3 & 4).

    Step by step photos for making a tuna panzanella salad with tuna steaks

    Place the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives, basil and parsley in a large bowl then add the croutons and slices of tuna (photos 7 - 9).

    Whisk the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl then pour over the salad ingredients, toss the salad to combine. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes then serve (photo 10).

    Step by step photos for making a tuna panzanella salad

    Other Ingredients that Would Work Really Well

    I like to stick to simple ingredients when it comes to panzanella but you can easily adapt it with whatever ingredients you like. Sun-dried tomatoes would work really well as would zucchini, asparagus, carrots, eggs and you could swap the tuna for cured meats such as prosciutto or just simply keep it veggie.

    Top Tips For Making the Best Tuna Panzanella 

    • Make sure to use the freshest tuna possible and from a sustainable source
    • If you can't get ahold of tuna steaks you can use canned tuna
    • I like to let the salad sit for a few minutes so the dressing soaks into the croutons and all the flavours get a chance to develop
    • Make sure to cut the onion as thin as possible so you don't get a pungent onion taste
    • You can store this salad in the fridge for up to 2 days

    A close up of a tuna panzanella salad on a large serving plate

    More Easy Salads You Might Like:

    • Tuna White Bean Salad with Basil and Lemon
    • Warm White Bean Salad – Tomato, Prosciutto & Baby Mozzarella
    • Loaded Lentil Salad With Eggplant And Burrata
    • Classic Caprese Salad – Easy, Fresh & Delicious

    If you've tried this Tuna Panzanella Salad or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST, to see more delicious food and what I'm getting up to.

    Step By Step Photos AboveMost of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
    Save RecipeSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin
    5 from 2 votes

    Tuna Panzanella Salad

    Panzanella Salad made with seared tuna steaks, juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes, salty olives and crunchy cucumber. It's tossed with a simple and easy dressing and homemade croutons. The salad can be prepped ahead making it perfect for lunch on the go or a light dinner.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 479kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tuna steaks 300g
    • 2 ½ cups Tomatoes cut in half (300g)
    • ½ Red onion finely sliced
    • 1 cup Cucumber finely sliced (150g)
    • 1 cup Olives mixed (150g)
    • 7 oz Ciabatta bread cut into cubes (200g)
    • 1 tablespoon parmesan freshly grated
    • 1 tbso fresh parsley chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
    • 2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
    • 5 tablespoon Olive oil extra virgin
    • Salt and pepper to season

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat the oven to 400F/200C. Place the cubed ciabatta bread on a baking sheet and spinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes until crisp.
    • Drizzle the tuna steak in around 1 teaspoon of olive oil just to lightly coat and spinkle with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Place on a hot griddle pan for 2 minutes each side, it should still be pink in the middle. Remove and cut into slices.
    • Place the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives, basil and parsley in a large bowl then add the croutons and slices of tuna.
    • Whisk the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl then pour over the salad ingredients, toss the salad to combine. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes then serve.

    Notes

    • Make sure to use the freshest tuna possible and from a sustainable source
    • If you can't get ahold of tuna steaks you can use canned tuna
    • I like to let the salad sit for a few minutes so the dressing soaks into the croutons and all the flavours get a chance to develop
    • Make sure to cut the onion as thin as possible so you don't get a pungent onion taste
    • You can store this salad in the fridge for up to 2 days

    Nutrition

    Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 831mg | Potassium: 543mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3135IU | Vitamin C: 19.7mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1.7mg
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

    More Salads

    • Mozzarella Bocconcini, Pesto and Sun Blushed Tomatoes
    • Arugula Salad with lemon and Parmesan
    • Italian Tuna Potato Salad
    • Chickpea Tuna Salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl

      July 30, 2019 at 10:28 am

      Love this salad so much, especially with fresh tuna. Simple and delicious!5 stars

      Reply
    2. Lorraine

      August 29, 2017 at 6:58 pm

      I thought this might be soggy but it was so delicious, brilliant!5 stars

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Ciao, we're Emily and Nathan. Our years living in Italy taught us how to cook authentic and delicious Italian food. We're here to help you put a beautiful meal on the table with tried and tested recipes you can trust. more about us!

    As seen in

    A collage of high profile online publication logos

    Popular Recipes

    • Tiramisu - Authentic Recipe!
    • Mushroom Ravioli With Parmesan Cream Sauce
    • Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
    • Italian Beef Ragu - A Classic Recipe
    • Lobster Ravioli with Vodka Cream Sauce
    • Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce - Quick, Easy & Delicious

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us & Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    My Recipe Box

    • Sign up for email updates and save all your favourite recipes!

    Recipes

    • Pasta
    • Mains
    • Desserts

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Copyright © 2022 Inside the Rustic Kitchen

    442 shares