Bruschetta salad is a delicious and vibrant summer panzanella salad with tomatoes, basil and croutons finished with a balsamic glaze.

A bowl of bruschetta salad with balsamic drizzle on a wooden board.

I’m inspired by so many different things, but recently, because we haven’t been going out to eat and have been spending a lot of time a home, I find that I’m inspired by classic dishes and flavour combinations. Reimagining them in new and different ways.

This salad is inspired by Caprese salad, bruschetta and panzanella salads. Three delicious dishes that I’ve been making variations of for years. This salad may not be revolutionary, but it is absolutely delicious.

And the perfect thing to enjoy all summer long. I like to serve this with Melitzano salata, and grilled Greek chicken.

Because I eat a lot of salads in the summer, I’m always looking for ways to change it up. I make my classic white balsamic vinaigrette and keep it in the fridge for quick work lunches, but I whipped this salad up one Friday evening before heading to the park and it was absolutely perfect.

There are a few tricks to making this salad “restaurant-worthy” and making homemade croutons is one of them.

Make your own croutons

My biggest tip for a delicious salad? Make your own croutons. They are so simple to make; cut or tear bread (I like to use a French baguette), toss it in some olive oil with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano, and bake in the oven at 375F for about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through and you’ve got delicious croutons to add to any salad.

Macro closeup of bruschetta salad in a wooden salad bowl.

What I love about this recipe is that it’s so simple and fresh! I use romaine because I love the crunch, along with fresh basil, bocconcini, tomatoes and croutons.

The dressing is just a good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. That’s it!

Can you use balsamic vinegar instead of balsamic glaze?

For this recipe, I would stick with the balsamic glaze. It’s concentrated and sweeter than traditional balsamic vinegar. I like to keep this condiment on hand for adding to homemade pizza, or to dress up a simple bruschetta.