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Salad arranged on an oval platter with kale, arugula, roasted butternut squash, apples, pecans, feta, and golden croutons, topped with apple slices and served with wooden salad spoons.
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Fall Panzanella Salad

This Fall Panzanella Salad is made with crispy olive oil soaked French bread, sweet butternut squash, apples, and dried cranberries, balanced with fresh arugula, kale, and pecans.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 399kcal
Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

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
US Customary - Metric

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(*)
    Cubed pieces of French bread being sliced on a wooden cutting board with a serrated knife, then toasted on a baking sheet until golden brown to make croutons.
  • 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
    Cubes of butternut squash on a baking sheet being drizzled with olive oil and seasoned before roasting until tender and caramelized.
  • 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
    Fresh kale leaves being chopped on a wooden cutting board and massaged in a large white bowl with olive oil for a salad base.
  • 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
    A glass jar filled with a vinaigrette mixture of olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, shallots, lemon juice, and sherry vinegar being whisked together until emulsified.
  • 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
    Fall panzanella salad being assembled with kale, roasted butternut squash, apples, feta, cranberries, pecans, and toasted bread cubes, then tossed with vinaigrette.

Video

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

Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 3mg