Panzanella Salad with Caesar Dressing
Our garden is finally bursting with tomatoes. It seems a little later than usual, but worth the wait. From now until October, every meal will probably involve tomatoes. I love to have a big slice sprinkled with basil salt next to my scrambled eggs, this sandwich, and today I made the most delicious panzanella salad.
This salad is pretty easy to throw together, and it’s definitely best when eaten right after it’s made, while the tomatoes are still warm from the sun and the bread and halloumi are right out of the oven. We had leftover Caesar salad dressing, and it was delicious, but your favorite vinaigrette would be perfect too!
Your shopping list of ingredients:
For the salad:
- French baguette
- Halloumi
- Dried basil
- Dried or oregano
- Dried thyme
- Olive oil
- Assorted tomatoes
- Sea salt
- Shallot
- French endives
- Fresh basil leaves
For the Caesar dressing:
- Lemon
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic cloves
- Anchovy filets
- Egg
- Sea salt
- Ground pepper
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
Directions for Panzanella salad with Caesar dressing
For the salad:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets with foil and set aside.
- Cut the baguette into approximately 1-inch cubes and add to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the cubes with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the basil, oregano, thyme, and toss again to coat.
- Tear the Halloumi into bite-sized pieces, add to the cubed baguette, and toss again to combine.
- Divide the baguette cubes and Halloumi evenly on the baking sheets, making sure they are in a single layer. Place them in the oven for 10 minutes. You want the edges and tops of the baguette cubes to be lightly browned and the center of the cubes to be soft and chewy. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets.
- Wash and core the large tomatoes, cut them into bite-sized wedges, and slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Place the tomatoes in a bowl, sprinkle them with salt, and set aside
- Julienne the endives and slice the shallots very thinly.
- In a large serving bowl, add the baguette cubes and Halloumi, the tomatoes and their juices, and toss to combine. Add the endives and shallots and toss again.
- Drizzle some of the Caesar dressing on top of the salad and toss, making sure everything is coated. Add more Caesar dressing if needed and top with fresh basil leaves torn into pieces. You will have leftover dressing, so save it and store it in the refrigerator for your Caesar salad later in the week.
For the Caesar dressing:
- Add the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, anchovy fillets, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the tube. Stop, scrape down the sides, and pulse again until fully combined.
- Add the parmesan cheese and pulse a few times. Transfer the Caesar dressing to a pitcher.
More Sunday favorites
Ruti Pants
Left to right: AYR Denim Shirt // Warby Parker Tal Sunglasses in Rosemary Matte Crystal // Chanel Red Liptstick #99 // Roxanne Assouline Charm Cord Necklace // Ruti On the Loose Work Pant // Birkenstocks // Mansur Gavriel Pleated Tote with Red Lining // Perfect-Fit High Neck Tank
I had the opportunity to try on a pair of the On the Loose Work Pant at the Madison Avenue Ruti store in NYC, and I can now see why everyone raves about them. My hesitation in ordering a pair before trying them on was the length. But now this pant comes in petite, standard, and long. They actually run true to size, and the long length is perfect for me. For reference, I’m 5’10” and wearing a size 10Long.
They are so comfortable and will be my go-to pants for travel and everyday wear. The slight barrel leg gives it a modern silhouette.
Haus Labs Makeup
Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation // Dual-Ended Precision Sculpting Brush // Foundation Brush // Blush Powder
Madeline told me about Haus Labs at Sephora, and since I needed to refresh my makeup before the big wedding in October, I thought I would try a few things. I love how Sephora uses technology to color-match foundation to find the right shade. The technician first color-matched the traditional way by trying colors on my skin and came up with 110, then used the device, and it indicated 200. She provided me with samples to try at home in natural light to see what color is best before buying. Choosing a blush was much easier. Brushes are a must when applying this makeup, and after trying them at home, I can see why. The double-tip blush brush is used to apply and blend to achieve the perfect amount.
What we’re watching
When we’re not watching tennis, we’ve been really enjoying Grantchester lately. It has a cozy small-town mystery feel, but it also touches on deeper themes along the way — faith, guilt, and relationships. Eleven seasons in, the finale just aired on August 2, 2026, and we’re already going to miss these characters! We watch it on PBS Masterpiece through Prime, in case you want to check it out too.
Let’s check in with Cindy and Mary Ann this week!
Panzanella Salad with Caesar Dressing
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 large French baguette
- 8-ounces Halloumi
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds ripe assorted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 small French endives, julienned
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, packed
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 anchovy filets
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- Pinch sea salt
- A few twists of freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
For the salad:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets with foil and set aside.
- Cut the baguette into approximately 1-inch cubes and add to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the cubes with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the basil, oregano, thyme, and toss again to coat.
- Tear the Halloumi into bite-sized pieces, add to the cubed baguette, and toss again to combine.
- Divide the baguette cubes and Halloumi evenly on the baking sheets, making sure they are in a single layer. Place them in the oven for 10 minutes. You want the edges and tops of the baguette cubes to be lightly browned and the center of the cubes to be soft and chewy. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets.
- Wash and core the large tomatoes, cut them into bit-sized wedges, and slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Place the tomatoes in a bowl, sprinkle them with salt, and set aside
- Julienne the endives and slice the shallots very thinly.
- In a large serving bowl, add the baguette cubes and Halloumi, the tomatoes and their juices, and toss to combine. Add the endives and shallots and toss again.
- Drizzle some of the Caesar dressing on top of the salad and toss, making sure everything is coated. Add more Caesar dressing if needed and top with fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces. You will have leftover dressing, so save it and store it in the refrigerator for your Caesar salad later in the week.
For the dressing:
- Add the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, anchovy fillets, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the tube. Stop, scrape down the sides, and pulse again until fully combined.
- Add the parmesan cheese and pulse a few times. Transfer the Caesar dressing to a pitcher.
You look so cute in that outfit….and it’s one that I could wear too…with my height limitation 🙂
I’m going to have to spring for PBS Masterpiece!
Hi,
Going to make your Panzanella salad recipe for dinner today, great way to use all these fresh tomatoes from the garden.
In the photo with the salad there are some cream colored forks. Could you give me the brand name of them, I would love to get some of them.
Thank you
Hi Renate!I hope you enjoy the salad as much as we did! The forks are from my online shop which is closed at the moment. But I could send you the listing if interested. They are vintage found at a flea market in Paris.
Thanks for the info.
Do you have spoons, knives and forks in that pattern?
If so, yes I would be interested in the listing.
BTW-we did enjoy that salad very much! It will be in our rotation when we have fresh tomatoes!
This pant has been the best thing to happen to me in ages. Wear the black always and the khaki is wonderful too! I like the assistance you get when you call the NY store rather than ordering from website. I ordered for my daughter as well and she loves them.
Leanne! They were very helpful in store too! I think I might need another color.
Love your new make up!! You look beautiful!! Mother of the bride is looking good!
Thank you Nancy! I think I might need prefessional application though for the wedding!ha
Hi Annie,
Love the outfit so much! I bought the AYR denim shirt and it is such a gorgeous deep blue color! And the jeans of course are fabulous. So exciting about the wedding…thanks for the new make up idea. Little worried about Ruti being petite and wearing a barrel pant …
Check out Nicola Walker in Last Tango in Halifax and Unforgotten both of them are long running series on Amazon/Britbox, and so good!! Happy Sunday!
Hi Francesca! I love the AYR denim shirt, I’m tempted to get the dark denim like you have. The Ruti pants still run pretty short….as you can see, mine are short even though they are longs. I do love them. So comfortable. I will definetly try Nicola Walker in Last Tango in Halifax!
I had two pair of the Ruti pants that I gave to my daughter. The barrel was too exaggerated on me. I am 5’3″ and purchased the petite. I loved the material and everything else about them. They look perfect on you!
Hi Kathy, I think barrel leg pants are so tricky. I’m happy with this pair, but have not have had luck with any other brand, and I’ve tried!
Annie! Your Panzannella salad looks delish … so bright and vibrant. Glad you tried the Ruti pants, I love them and they look amazing on you. Great for travel. Happy Sunday! xo
Juliet, I remember you saying that you liked them! I cannot remember where or when, but I knew to try this pant because of you!
Annie the salad looks so good! Love the addition of the halloumi. I need to try this as my tomatoes are really popping right now.
I want a pair those Ruti pants. They look great on you! So good for travel too.
Exciting about the wedding! Yeah, I love the Sephora camera thing where they can match your skin perfectly.
Happy Anniversary! Just loved your photos and outfit on Instagram. You guys were so cool even then. xo
Oh kim, you’re so sweet!
We just started using halloumi, I love it, very salty, in a good way! Brent is not as sold! ha
Hi Annie,
Your Ruti pants with the white tank and denim shirt look gorgeous on you. With fall closing in, they seem like a perfect transitional basic.
I splurged last spring and bought a pair of Ruti pants for traveling. Because I’m 5’1″, I ordered a petite in black which fit beautifully. While they were incredible for travel, they have become my “go to” for everyday.
I’lI most likely wear them when I take the our new light rail into Seattle to explore the Haus Labs make up at Sephora. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Hugs from Mercer Island, Diney
Hi Diney! Arent’t they the most comfortable pant? I think once summer is over, they will become my go to pant too! A little more elevated than a Lululemon or Athleta pant that sort of feels the same. The Ruti pants feel less like workout wear, but are just as comfortable.
How have I not heard about the new light rail in Seattle? That’s exciting! How long is the trip door-to-door?
Have a lovely week, Diney!