Fall Panzanella Salad

It’s a fall panzanella salad! Roasted brussels and butternut squash, toasty sourdough cubes, sage shallot balsamic vinaigrette, cinnamon toasted pumpkin seeds, and pomegranate. It’s a Tuscan bread salad and in my opinion, quite possibly the best way to salad because like…bread.

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Fall panzanella salad! Brussels and butternut squash, sourdough, sage & caramelized shallot balsamic vinaigrette, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate.

The corn panzanella I posted a few months ago became my favorite summer salad of all time, so I’m officially committing to posting a new panzanella every season for at least the next year. This one is soooo perfect for fall! It’s not what you would think of when you think of a typical salad. Most of the components are warm, there are big chunks of sourdough, and flavors from sage and cinnamon take charge.

What is a Panzanella?

A panzanella is a Tuscan (in central Italy) bread salad! It typically includes tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and olive oil, so consider this fall panzanella salad a riff off of the classic summer salad. It’s a great way to use leftover stale bread. There are different ways you can get your bread toasty, but doing it on the stove while my veggies roast is easiest for me!

Eventually the bread salad gets doused in a vinaigrette and yes, the bread gets soggy with time. And yes, I too was skeptical about soggy bread, but it’s SO good. I would definitely recommend letting this sit for a couple of hours to get the optimal flavor and texture. The sage shallot balsamic vinaigrette really gets time to soak in and soften the bread. If you do prefer to enjoy it immediately, I’m positive that would be delightful too.

Ingredients for the fall panzanella salad

How to Make This Fall Panzanella Salad

Toast the sourdough.

Toast sourdough or another artisan bread loaf in olive oil. Alternatively, bake the bread cubes for 10 minutes at 400 F. Both should have good results; just do whichever is more convenient for you.

Toasted sourdough cubes

Roast some brussels sprouts and butternut squash.

You can sub in whichever seasonal veggies you prefer! I would love to see another type of squash, sweet potatoes, or carrots.

Caramelize chopped shallots.

Caramelized the shallots in a little olive oil for the vinaigrette. Trust me – you’re going to want to take this extra 5 minute step. It makes the vinaigrette incredible.

Mix together the vinaigrette.

You’ll need the shallots, fresh sage, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper. You can use another fresh herb like rosemary or thyme depending on what you have. You could also use dried herbs if that’s what you have, but I’d highly recommend the fresh herbs for this recipe! Here’s a little stop motion I had fun making:

Toast the pumpkin seeds.

Toast pumpkin seeds with cinnamon or sea salt until they are golden crunchy. This is another extra little step, but you can skip it and just add pre-roasted pumpkin seeds if you have them.

Put together this fall panzanella salad.

And let it sit for a couple hours for optimal flavor and texture! The salad also keeps well in the fridge for a few days and tastes just as delicious the next day. Here’s another stop motion of how I layered it!

Fall Panzanella Salad

It’s a fall panzanella! Roasted brussels and butternut squash, toasty sourdough cubes, sage & caramelized shallot balsamic vinaigrette, cinnamon toasted pumpkin seeds, and pomegranate.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb brussels sprouts, quartered
  • ½ a butternut squash, cubed *about 1.5 cups of cubed squash
  • 2 tbsp olive oil *for roasting veggies
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp dry rosemary or another herb *optional
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 cups of 1-inch sourdough bread cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil *for toasting bread
  • ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of sea salt
  • ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds *add more or less to your liking
  • mixed greens or kale

sage & caramelized shallot balsamic vinaigrette

  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • ¼ cup olive oil *for caramelizing the shallot
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  • Toss brussels and butternut squash with olive oil, red chili powder, dry rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast for 40-45 minutes. You can take the brussels out at 20-25 minutes if you want to retain their crunch, but you don’t have to take them out. 
  • Cut sourdough into 1-inch cubes. Cook in a large pan with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until nicely toasted. Toss occasionally. Alternatively, bake in a sheet pan for 10 minutes at 400 F.
  • Toast the pumpkin seeds with cinnamon and sea salt over medium heat until golden and crunchy, so about 5-6 minutes.
  • For the vinaigrette, finely chop a shallot. Add ½-1 tbsp olive oil to a small pan and caramelize the shallots until crisp and browned. Add to a jar with the rest of the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Shake the jar until the dressing comes together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Assemble! Add bread, roasted veggies, and greens to a large bowl. Toss. Add pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, and the vinaigrette. You can enjoy it immediately, but ideally, set some aside for a couple of hours to let the bread soften and the flavor soak in.

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