Grilled Corn Panzanella

By Ali Slagle

Updated July 23, 2024

Grilled Corn Panzanella
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(326)
Comments
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Panzanella, the Tuscan bread salad of bread, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, basil, is already peak summer cooking, but this grilled, summer produce-heavy rendition might be even more so. The dish is best in the summer when tomatoes are at their juiciest, which is exactly when you don’t want to turn on the oven to toast bread. But dry bread is the key to the salad’s deliciousness because it soaks up the tomato juices and vinaigrette for a mix of crisp and soft bites. So head outside to the grill: Charring the bread brings a nutty, smoky edge to the sweet tomatoes, corn and cucumbers. Add mozzarella, too, for creaminess, or make the salad vegan by replacing the mozzarella with white beans.

Featured in: A Vegetable Lover's Guide to the Grill

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings (12 cups)
  • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
  • 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 8ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into roughly 1-inch pieces
  • 1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces, or 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2Persian or mini seedless cucumbers, cut ¼ inch thick
  • 1shallot, thinly sliced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1(12-ounce) loaf sourdough or rustic bread, sliced 1 inch thick
  • 3ears of corn, shucked
  • 20basil leaves, torn if large
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

524 calories; 30 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 773 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a grill to medium-high. In a very large bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar and mozzarella. Place a large colander or sieve on top of the mozzarella mixture. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers and shallot to the colander and season generously with salt, about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir to coat. Set aside to allow the tomato and cucumber juices to form a vinaigrette with the oil and vinegar beneath.

  2. Step 2

    On a sheet pan, brush the bread and corn all over with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Head outside with the sheet pan and tongs.

  3. Step 3

    Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes. Grill the bread until crisp and charred in spots, 1 to 3 minutes per side. (Watch closely; bread likes to burn.) Return ingredients to the sheet pan as they finish, then head back inside.

  4. Step 4

    Shake the colander of tomatoes and cucumbers to get all the juices in the bowl, then set the colander aside in the sink. Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and cut the kernels off the cobs. To the bowl of mozzarella, add the bread, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots and basil and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve right away or let sit, stirring occasionally, for up to 30 minutes.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
326 user ratings
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Comments

Chris

Are you looking for the taste of summer? Because this just might be it. Wow, from the dressing to the grilled bread to fresh basil. Harmony of acid, sweetness and texture. I used frozen pita bread and kept it vegan so no mozz, but can only imagine what that’d do! Make sure to marinate the raw scallion if your SO isn’t such a fan. Otherwise, make this salad!

Chef Agostino

Doubled the dressing, added two cans of cannellini beans and arugula. Excellent summer dish!

Peggy

We loved this salad - all the tastes of summer and we were able to use our cherry tomatoes. No changes were made and while I intended to let the ingredients sit for 30 minutes we couldn't wait and dug in after 5. I loved that the bread still had some crunch.

Shara

Believe it or not, I don’t have a grill. But this recipe sounds amazing…would it be as good using the broiler? Any other suggestions?

Emma

This was a superb base. A couple modifications I made: rather than firing up the grill, I cut the kernels off the corn and seared them in a pan, esquite-style; and I baked the hunks of bread, tossed in olive oil and garlic powder, in the oven at 350 for 15 mins. I also added some diced watermelon. It was such a fresh, juicy, summery side!

Melissa

Delicious! Even better the next day!

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