This BLT Vegan Panzanella Salad is packed with fresh and flavorful ingredients. It’s a great summer salad to bring to share at BBQs and potlucks. The bread soaks up all the delicious dressing and you can taste the smoky tempeh in every bite!
I know I posted a cozy soup recipe yesterday, but today we’re apparently postponing it until summer! I recently had the idea for this BLT Vegan Panzanella Salad and couldn’t wait to make it. It’s fresh, flavorful, and you can taste the smoky tempeh in every bite!
I’ve been branching out a bit more lately and using more prepared meat alternatives in my recipes, so I hope you all don’t mind! I don’t usually rely on them for cooking, but they’re fun to use and I’ve really been loving this tempeh bacon lately.
Vegan BLT Panzanella Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Smokey Bacon Tempeh – I love the Lightlife Smokey Bacon Flavored Tempeh pictured above. I used a packet and while it doesn’t seem like much, I could taste it strongly in every bite! You can also use homemade tempeh or tofu bacon, or even store-bought vegan bacon if you like.
- Bread – I rolled up some plain bagels we had in the fridge, but you can use any type of bread you like. I like the bagels because they get nice and crunchy on the outside but stay soft on the inside and soak up the dressing well without getting too soggy. Sourdough would be great too!
- lettuce – I used iceberg lettuce because I like the crunch and thought it would hold up well with the dressing. You can use any type of veggies you like, spinach, baby kale, or arugula would work well.
- tomato – All types of tomatoes are suitable for this panzanella salad. I diced some Roma tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes will be so good when they’re in season soon.
- Red onion – I always have to add some raw red onion to my salads because I love it! You can use any type of onion you like, scallions are a good option if you don’t like the taste too strong.
- Fresh herbs – I love adding fresh herbs to salads like this because they really brighten them up. I used parsley, but basil, mint, dill, or cilantro would also be good.
- dressing – I made a simple dressing with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper. If you don’t already have these ingredients on hand, you can purchase Italian-style bottle dressing if you like.
- salt and black pepper
How to make this BLT Panzanella Salad
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut your bread into bite-sized cubes and place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You can also add a sprinkling of dried oregano and granulated garlic if you like.
- Mix everything together with your hands until the bread is coated with the oil and spices. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until browned and crispy, 15-20 min, turn once. Remove from the oven and place in a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
- Open the package of tempeh and cut into small pieces. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brush the bottom with about 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the tempeh chunks, stir and cook until the tempeh is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Make the dressing by adding Place all dressing ingredients in a medium bowlor glass, and mix until fully combined. Add a little flavor and season with salt and pepper to your desired taste.
- After the breadcrumbs have cooled for a few minutes, add the lettuce, tomato, tempeh, red onion, and fresh herbs. Then pour the dressing over the salad. Pour slowly as you may not need all of the dressing. Use 2 large spoons to mix all of the lettuce together until fully incorporated into the dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions about the recipe
- Is this recipe gluten free? No, but you can easily make it gluten free by using gluten free bread.
- Is this recipe vegan? Yes!
- Can I make this panzanella salad ahead of time? Panzanella salads can get soggy over time since they’re made with stale/toasted bread and dressing, so I wouldn’t suggest making it too far in advance. You can always assemble the salad, but leave the bread and dressing until ready to serve.
- How long do leftovers keep in the fridge? As I said above, this salad doesn’t do well to keep in the fridge for long. It will probably stay good for about 2 days.
Do you have a question that I haven’t answered? Ask me in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Looking for more Panzanella-style vegetarian salads?
Easy Greek Panzanella Salad
Winter panzanella salad with roasted vegetables
Panzanella salad with spinach and white beans
Summery panzanella salad with grilled corn
Green Tomato Southwestern Panzanella
Press
Vegan BLT Panzanella Salad
- Total time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6-8th 1X
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This BLT Vegan Panzanella Salad is packed with fresh and flavorful ingredients. It’s a great summer salad to bring to share at BBQs and potlucks. The bread soaks up all the delicious dressing and you can taste the smoky tempeh in every bite!
- 6 ounces packaged smoky bacon tempeh, or 6 ounces homemade tempeh bacon
- 7–8th Cups of bread cubes, I cut bagels, but any loaf will work
- 4 cups Diced iceberg lettuce or green salad of your choice
- 3 cups diced tomato
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, dill, mint or cilantro
- olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 1/2 Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- juice from one big lemon
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 2 chopped garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes and place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You can also add a sprinkling of dried oregano and granulated garlic if you like.
- Mix everything together with your hands until the bread is coated with the oil and spices. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 mins, turning once, until browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and place in a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
- Open the package of tempeh and cut into small pieces. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brush the bottom with about 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the tempeh chunks, stir and cook until the tempeh is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Make the dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients to a medium bowl or jar and tossing until completely combined. Add a little flavor and season with salt and pepper to your desired taste.
- After the breadcrumbs have cooled for a few minutes, add the lettuce, tomato, tempeh, red onion, and fresh herbs. Then pour the dressing over the salad. Pour slowly as you may not need all of the dressing. Use 2 large spoons to mix all of the lettuce together until fully incorporated into the dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 20 minutes
- Category: Vegan, salad
- Method: oven, hob
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Vegan BLT Panzanella Salad