Fall Panzanella Salad
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Fall gets a lot of attention for all its delicious baked goods (hellooooo Pumpkin Bread, Apple Pie, Maple Scones, I could keep going… 😋). But I’m not gonna lie, I’m over here drooling over this hearty and delectable Fall Panzanella Salad ❤️
You’ll be sure to love this plant-powered salad and how simple it is to make. It’s healthy, nutritious, and packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals.
This Fall Panzanella Salad is full of fresh and vibrant fall flavors. It’s perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish, for holiday entertaining, weeknight dinners, or as an easy-to-pack lunch to take to work.
What is Panzanella?
Traditionally, Panzanella is an Italian bread salad made with onions, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, vinegar and seasonings and chunks of bread.
The magic of the salad is really in the bread because it soaks up all dressing and juices from the vegetables, and turns into this incredible crunchy yet soft goodness.
Table Talk with Tawnie
Panzanella salads may be thought of as a summer staple and not much as a fall favorite. But who said we can’t eat Panzanella salads in the fall?! I really enjoy making and eating this salad because it’s hassle-free, easy to make, and proof that salads aren’t boring! The roasted butternut squash and dried cranberries add sweetness and the leafy greens & tangy cheese (goat or feta) add a touch of savory… best of both worlds! The dressing ties the whole salad together with its to.die.for taste – it has a little sweetness from the honey and brightness from the lemon. Get ready for a new fall favorite! 😍
PS. If you’re craving even more delicious salads, you will love my Favorite Everyday Salad, Kale Blueberry Salad, and Strawberry Poppyseed Salad!
For the salad:
- Day old French bread (bite sized cubes)
- Butternut Squash ( 1-1/2 inch cubes)
- Olive oil
- Arugula
- Kale
- Honeycrisp or Fuji Apple
- Roasted Almonds, pecans or Pepitas
- Goat cheese or Feta
- Dried Cranberries
For the dressing
- Olive oil
- Lemon Juice
- Sherry Vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon
- Shallots
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make Panzanella Bread Salad
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Toast the bread 🥖
Cube the bread into ~1 inch bite sized cubes. Place on a baking sheet, toss with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and toast for 15-20 minutes.
Roast the butternut squash 🍠
Place cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet and toss with salt, pepper, & olive oil. Bake until fork tender, ~35 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Massage the kale 🥬
Drizzle olive oil over the kale and use your hands to massage the kale leaves, lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in color.
Make the dressing 🫙
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.
Build the salad 🥗
Combine the arugula, kale, apples, pecans, feta, dried cranberries, butternut squash and bread together. Serve with dressing on the side or toss dressing in the salad if serving immediately.
How long does Fall Panzanella Salad last?
After a few hours, the bread will get soggy and mushy. I recommend to consume within a few hours, or save some bread on the side (instead of mixing it all in) so you can add it right before eating any leftovers.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can toast the bread and butternut squash in advance to speed up the salad making process when you’re ready to make it.
Also, make the dressing ahead of time if you’d like too! I wouldn’t pour the dressing over the salad until you are ready to eat it, because it may get soggy.
Expert Tips
- Toast the bread in the oven for ~10 minutes. We want it toasted, and not hard like croutons.
- Let the Panzanella salad sit for a bit (15-20 minutes) before serving so that the flavors meld and for the bread to soak up a good bit of the dressing before completely melting into the salad.
- Use FRESH leafy greens, apples and squash for a fresh taste.
- I like to buy pre-cut butternut squash to save myself time of having to cut a whole squash.
- Using at-least day-old bread or stale bread is the best bread. It’s key for Panzanella salads.
- Remember that it’s all about textures. Don’t let the bread soak too long that it disintegrates.
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Fall Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1/2 loaf French bread(*)
- 20 oz. butternut squash (pre-cut)
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 large apple (I like Honeycrisp or Fuji) (cut into cubes)
- 1 cup pecans(**) (or walnuts or pepitas)
- 1 cup feta cheese (or goat cheese)
- 1 cup dried cranberries
For the dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. shallots (minced)
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Toast the bread: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cube the bread into ~1 inch bite sized cubes. Place on a baking sheet, toss with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and toast for 15-20 minutes.1/2 loaf French bread(*)
- Roast the butternut squash: Increase the oven temperature to 375°F. Place cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet. Toss with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Spread evenly on pan. Bake until fork tender, ~35 minutes. Set aside to cool.20 oz. butternut squash, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper
- Massage the kale: Pull the kale leaves off from the stems and discard the stems. Use a chef’s knife to chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big bowl. Drizzle olive oil generously over the kale and use your hands to massage the kale leaves (lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in color). About 2 minutes.1 bunch kale
- Make the dressing: In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.1/3 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. shallots, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Build the salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, kale, apples, pecans, feta, dried cranberries, butternut squash and bread together. Add more pecans/feta/dried cranberries as desired. Serve with dressing on the side or toss dressing in the salad if serving immediately.3 cups baby arugula, 1 large apple (I like Honeycrisp or Fuji), 1 cup pecans(**), 1 cup feta cheese, 1 cup dried cranberries
Notes
- (*)No-toast method for bread: Instead of toasting the bread cubes, you can also dry them if you plan ahead: Spread the bread cubes over a baking sheet. Leave uncovered overnight to stale and harden. When ready to make the salad, you won’t have to toast them!
- (**)Toast the pecans if preferred: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spread the pecans on a baking sheet. Toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they bake evenly. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Leftovers: To keep the bread from getting soggy, only add it to the salad right before serving. If you know you’ll have leftovers, toss the salad and dressing together in a large bowl, then mix in the bread just for the portions you plan to serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
This recipe was originally posted in October 2020. It was updated with new photos and a few additional tips and tricks in November 2025.
📸 Photography by Marie Dubé
This is the most delicious salad!! My family LOVES it so I make it often.
Thank you sooo much Cindy! 🙂
What a beautiful seasonal salad using all my favourite ingredients. Will be giving this a go at the weekend!
Such a a tasty and delicious salad – so love all the textures in this!
Wow! That looks like such a tasty and filling salad, and perfect for this time of year, too.
I was looking for a recipe to use my butternut squash and found you on Pinterest. Love the twist to a traditional panzanella salad. This fall version is wonderful. Thank you!