July 18, 2010
(last updated August 17, 2023) 
This white bean avocado panzanella is a light, bright spin on bread salad. It’s made with a creamy avocado basil dressing, nutritious white beans, and crispy radishes.
This white bean avocado panzanella salad is so non-traditionally panzanella that I hesitate to even call it by that name. But it’s definitely a bread salad. Crispy, toasted sourdough plays a starring role. It offsets lots of creamy texture from avocado and white beans. The salad is refreshing yet satisfying and perfect for spring or summer.
When I first made this salad, I thought I’d miss the ripe tomatoes that are usually a part of panzanella. However, once I let that expectation go, I was delighted with what I had. The creamy avocado dressing is just a little tart, flavored with basil and lemon. It adds the acidity that tomatoes would usually impart to the dish. It’s a perfect counterpart to creamy pieces of whole avocado, tender white beans, and salty bread cubes.
Building a vegan panzanella salad
A classic panzanella is made with bread, onions, tomato, and vinaigrette. Sometimes cucumbers are included. The idea is for the juices of these juicy veggies to be soaked up by torn or cubed pieces of bread. The salad puts slightly stale bread, which soaks up liquids easily, to good use.
For me, homemade panzanella has become just about any salad with bread, which I know is a stretch. Case in point: my winter root veggie panzanella. I even take liberties with the bread, as illustrated by my vegan cornbread panzanella.
But even when tomatoes and vinaigrette aren’t involved, adding bread to a salad usually creates a good contrast of texture. I love whole grains in a salad, of course. But they can sometimes blend in and get lost with beans or chopped veggies. A hearty bread cube doesn’t.
Creamy avocado dressing
The creamy avocado dressing in this white bean avocado panzanella is key. It adds acidity to the salad, along with flavor from shallots, lemon, and basil. The dressing can be made with white vinegar if you’re out of lemon—I actually like that version a lot, too. The basil screams summer, but it can be replaced with parsley or dill if you prefer.
It’s worth saying that you don’t have to make the dressing for this panzanella. It’s a lovely dressing in its own right, and you can use it on lots of summer bowls and salads. Sometimes I make it for dunking veggie crudites, too. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a full week.
Storing white bean avocado panzanella
Speaking of storage, if you’d like to store this salad, I recommend keeping all of the components separate. I’ve made traditional panzanella and enjoyed how the bread gets even soggier as it sits in the fridge overnight. But I think this particular bread salad is best when it’s freshly mixed. If you’d like to save a little time, you can chop your radishes and make the dressing in advance. Simply add the greens and fresh avocado pieces and dress it when you’re reading to eat.
White Bean Avocado Panzanella
Author –Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 small boule peasant or sourdough bread, cubed (4 heaping cups of bread)
- avocado oil spray (optional, for toasting bread)
- 2 Hass avocados, pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1/4 cup loosely packed, fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini or navy beans (or 1 14.5 ounce can beans, drained and rinsed)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Spread the bread cubes onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Spray the cubes lightly with avocado oil, if desired. Toast the cubes in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges of the bread cubes are golden. Remove the bread from the oven.
- Cut both avocados in half and remove their pits. Add one half avocado, along with the olive oil, water, lemon juice or vinegar, shallot, basil, salt, and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth. Set this dressing aside.
- To prepare the salad, combine the toasted bread cubes, cucumber, romaine, radishes, and white beans together in a very large mixing bowl. Cut the remaining one and a half avocados into cubes and add them to the bowl. Pour all of the dressing over these ingredients. Toss the salad well, taking care to mix all of the ingredients with the dressing. Serve right away.
Radishes are usually a springtime arrival, but for me, white bean avocado panzanella will always be a summertime favorite. That’s especially true because of the cucumbers, which I eat in and on everything (toast, bagels, sandwiches, salads) in June, July, and August. I never get tired of this bright, cooling lunch, and I hope it’ll give you some pleasure, too.
xo
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission. Visit my privacy policy to learn more.
Categories: Recipes,
Salads,
Dressings
Method: No-Bake
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Quick & Easy
Method: No-Bake
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Quick & Easy
Leave a Comment
Gena, I had to stop myself mid-way through eating your recipe for panzanella salad to post this comment. The salad is awesome! The dressing by itself is sooooo good. I was licking the top of my blender and I would have licked the bottom if I could have stuck my head in there….lol. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Hi Gena,
This is unrelated to your post, but relates to the one you wrote just recently about the Agave controversy. You mentioned that the Stevia plant is a good source for sweetener, and I was just wondering if Truvia (a sweetener derived from the Stevia plant) is all natural. I stay away from sweeteners like aspartame, xylitol, etc., and I noticed some questionable ingredients on Truvia’s label. Erythritol? Rebiana? Are those safe ingredients? Do you have a recommendation for a brand of Stevia sweetener I can buy? Thanks!
You shouldn’t feel guilty about your posting efforts for one second, my dear boo-face! You are more prolific than anyone has a right to expect. That dressing does sound incredible, btw.
I would write more but I’m going to go ahead and bleep myself out. 🙂
that looks like the perfect summer meal!
Looks amazing, Gena! Can’t wait to try it!
sometimes simple is best. Still looks delicious! And love the orange/basil dressing.
I would die for croutons, do you make yours yourself raw?
Christina,
I’m sure that I could, but I generally don’t. I use Ezekiel bread, which isn’t raw.
G
Yikes, bread………
“Yikes, bread?”
I love Panzanella! You’ve inspired me to whip some up for the fam this week.
You are so right about posting. It just needs to happen “organically” to be authentic and inspiring. I’ve stopped being a slave to a schedule for my blog. =)
sounds incredible!
how long will the dressing keep?
thanks for the recipe!!
Love the idea of cannellini and avocado together–creamy goodness!
Good work, Gena. But I am more impressed with the dressing b/c I love dressing with OJ in them. I am a sweet girl, though, you know that about me 🙂 so I always do OJ, Agave, EVOO, other spices depending on what I feel like but I need to try to blend it w/ an avo. I hate to take out and dirty the Vita just for dressing (whisk whenever possible for me!) but I may need to get over the extra dishes 🙂
Posting…you know I post daily and yes, it is a CHORE some days. There are not enough hours in the day many days and I am not sure why I just don’t let a day go and not put up a fresh post. I suppose it’s fear of disappointing others but I really need to honor myself and get over that. So far though, no such luck and I post whether I have the time or not. And if I don’t have the time, unfortunately, it’s my family time or sleep that suffers. Which is wrong, wrong, wrong. I know this. Thank you for addressing it in this post.
And so jealz of your meetups with Diana. I would LOVE to meet both of you!!
🙂
Salad looks great…and the dressing! Sounds perfect for this time of year ; )
I agree with you about posting, Lori and I are always trying to find time. And then we feel guilty that we did not post, we talk about it for hours. But it happens!
Have a good night!!
wow, that sounds incredible! i love panzanella salad…like you said, truly a meal in a bowl!
Panzanella is my boyfriend’s favourite kind of salad. Your version looks just perfect!
Yum! Add canellini beans to anything and I love it! 🙂
Gorgeous! I just photographed and wrote the recipe for mine. It’s such a hearty, “manly” salad. Can I get a fist bump on that? 🙂
Hi! Looks great, but is bread considered raw? Thanks!
Hi Bianca,
Nope! Sprouted grain bread, cooked at low temperatures, is not raw.
G
I’ve never heard of a Panzanella either, but it looks wonderful – especially the dressing. Thanks!
That dressing – YUM! I’ve never thought of combining avocado and orange before, however reading it now makes me think it’s an ideal combo. Another winner.
I think you do a great job of balancing your simpler posts (recipes, food porn etc.) with your more thought-provoking ones. Some days you challenge us to dig deep, other days you reward us with yummmy foods or inspire us to be a little ambitious in the kitchen. While some of your deeper posts have been among my favorites, the variation in depth allows me to muse over the heavier topics for a few days while still getting to hear your voice regularly on the lighter days. I love the vigor that ensues in the comments section associated with the deeper posts, however I’m not sure if that fervency would exist to the same degree if we were challenged with equal heaviness on a daily basis! In other words, in my opinion the balance is great! Kudos to you, my friend 🙂
love this!
x
Totally relate to the guilt feelings when I haven’t posted for a while but I totally believe that REAL life is more important to me, and the posts will come when the posts will come. And it’s better for us (the readers) to hear from you when it is more timely for you! 🙂
Never heard of panzanella but I’ll be sure to try it sometime. Your orange dressing sounds really tasty!!!
We had panzanella last night! Ours was more of a classic one, but yours looks awesome as well. Yum!
Oh yes, bloggers guilt gets us sometimes, doesn’t it?! I have to step back and realize that those who read my blog need me to live a life in order to write about it…even if it is just work and food…at least we are living…and eating well!
The salad looks delicious and it has been years since I’ve had a panzanella..the gena-fied version sounds like one I would much prefer! The orange and basil dressing sounds heavenly as well.
I’ve actually never heard of a Panzanella salad but I like the looks of it!
And I agree about posting schedules and keeping things simple. That’s what I’ve been doing lately 🙂