A slightly different take on a panzanella salad – this pepper panzanella includes grilled sweet peppers, burst cherry tomatoes, tangy olives, crispy pieces of grilled bread, and creamy burrata cheese. It’s a decadent summer appetizer that’s simple, rustic, and absolutely mouthwatering.
I can’t seem to stop making versions of panzanella salad this summer. There’s just something so rustic about it that I love. Any kind of salad that includes bread and juicy tomatoes is definitely my kind of salad. And right now when tomatoes are at their sweetest and absolute best? You really can’t beat it.
While most of the time I make this herb marinated tomato panzanella, I recently made a different version that I am equally obsessed with.
I found a beautiful variety of bell peppers at the farmers market and was inspired to char them on the grill and toss them in. Since the grill was on, I threw some cherry tomatoes in a skillet and cooked them down over the flames with rosemary and lots of garlic. A little vinegar, some briny olives, and fresh garlic chives add even more flavor. Toss all of this over chunks of crispy grilled bread and you’ve got the perfect base for the creamy burrata cheese.
Serve this pepper panzanella as an appetizer, as a side dish, or I’d even go as far as saying this would make a PERFECT dinner on a warm summer night.
Any way you do it, definitely make this one before the summer ends!
PrintPepper Panzanella with Burrata & Olives
a panzanella salad full of charred peppers, burst cherry tomatoes, olives, grilled bread, and burrata cheese
servings: 4-6
Ingredients
- 6 small bell peppers
- olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- kosher salt
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup pitted castelvetrano olives, halved
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic chives (or regular chives), plus more to garnish
- 6 oz crusty bread, sliced ½”
- 1 ball burrata cheese
- flaky sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill over high heat.
- Place the peppers onto the grill. Char on all sides until blackened and tender. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and loosely cover with a piece of foil. Let them steam for 10 minutes as they cool. Peel the skins, cut out the stems, and scrape out the seeds. Cut them into smaller pieces.
- Meanwhile, place a cast-iron skillet over the grill and let heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sprig of rosemary and let heat in the oil for a few seconds. Add the cherry tomatoes and season with a good pinch of salt. Cook the cherry tomatoes until they are burst and tender, just a few minutes.
- Stir in the red wine vinegar and garlic. Let cook another minute. Remove the skillet from the grill. Stir in the olives and garlic chives (or regular chives).
- Coat the bread with olive oil and season with salt. Grill the bread until crisp and slightly charred, just a minute or so on each side. Transfer the bread to a cutting board and cut each slice into smaller pieces.
- Assemble the dish by spreading the pieces of bread out in a large, shallow bowl. Top with the peppers and tomato mixture (remove the sprig of rosemary). Break the ball of burrata into pieces and arrange over top. Season the cheese with the flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Garnish with more garlic chives (or regular chives).
The pepper panzanella with burrata and olives was DELISH!! LOVED IT!🤩
Yay! I’m so glad to hear. Thanks for the feedback!