• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary logo

  • > Start Here
  • The Recipes
    • Browse all categories
    • Asian
    • Dinner
    • Pasta
    • Roast Dinner
    • Curries
    • Sides
    • Soups
    • Big Batch
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • Skinny Recipes
    • Street Food
    • Lunch
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cakes & Treats
    • BBQ
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Sauces and Dips
  • My New Book
  • Blogger Resources
    • Living The Blog
    • How to start a food blog
    • Income Reports
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Sign-Up
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • > Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Never miss a recipe!
  • 20 Minute Meals
  • Appetizers & Party Food
  • Asian
  • Curries
  • Dinner
  • One Pot
  • Pasta
  • Roast Dinner
  • Sides
  • Slow Cooked
  • Soups
  • Street Food
  • Terms and Conditions
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Salads

    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki

    Published: Sep 13, 2016 · Modified: Sep 6, 2019 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki - Italy meets Greece in this juicy tomato salad with crispy fried Greek cheese.

    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki - Italy meets Greece in this juicy Tuscan tomato salad with crispy fried Greek cheese.

    For the first time ever, I spotted saganaki cheese in the supermarket! Yay!

    One of my very early memories from when Chris and I were first going out, was our trip to Rhodes in Greece. We hired a little suzuki jimny and drove around the island, taking in the sights.

    I remember seeing an old lady tending to her tomato plants, then plucking a few of the large juicy tomatoes out of her bucket and squeezing the juice into her mouth for a bit of refreshment on a sweltering day.

    We fed the scraggly little kittens at the harbour just outside of Rhodes old town.

    We walked up the steps to the acropolis in Lindos and we drove to little market stalls that sold a very, very strong boozy honey spirit.

    ....and then we ate that beautifully simple dish of fried saganaki with a sprinkle of lemon juice, whilst sitting in a tiny little shabby cafe that smelled of chips.

    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki - Italy meets Greece in this juicy Tuscan tomato salad with crispy fried Greek cheese.

    Blissful memories.

    I can still remember the taste of the saganaki, and I've thought about making it at home so many times over the years.

    Unfortunately, no matter where I shopped, I just couldn't find the right cheese.

    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki - Italy meets Greece in this juicy Tuscan tomato salad with crispy fried Greek cheese.

    I've heard suggestions from people to use halloumi, and although I love fried halloumi (erm halloumi burgers? yesss!), it's just not right for saganaki.

    The cheese needs to be one that has a high melting point, but still softens during cooking, whilst going crispy on the outside. It needs to retain its shape, but still be smooth and a little chewy. It also needs to be salty.

    I finally found Kafalotyri cheese in Ocado, and the feeling was akin to that feeling when you put on your too-tight jeans and they fit perfectly.

    (Although it you eat too much of this stuff that ain't gonna happen!)

    When I found it, I was reminded of that little old lady with her tomatoes, and it just felt like the perfect combination. A juicy tomato and bread salad with chunks of salty saganaki.

    Yum x 1 million.

     

    The Panzanella Salad with Saganaki Recipe:

    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki - Italy meets Greece in this juicy Tuscan tomato salad with crispy fried Greek cheese.
    5 from 2 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Lunch
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 3 servings
    Calories 552 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 400 g mixed colour tomatoes – take out of the fridge for an hour to come up to room temperature for maximum flavour.
    • Large pinch of freshly ground salt and pepper
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 4 slices of ciabatta bread - cut into cubes
    • 200 g Kefalotyri* Greek cheese, sliced into 1-inch squares
    • 2 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
    • ½ tsp lemon juice
    • ¼ red onion - peeled and very thinly sliced
    • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
    • Dressing:
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
    • ½ tsp caster sugar
    • ½ a clove of garlic - peeled and minced

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Chop the tomatoes and mix with the salt and pepper – leave for 10-15 minutes to release their juices.
    • Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan, and place the bread cubes in. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and toast each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the pan and turn off the heat.
    • Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small jug.
    • Place the toasted ciabatta chunks in a serving bowl. Mix in the tomatoes – juices as well. Drizzle on half of the dressing and toss to ensure the bread mixes with the dressing. Leave for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop and for the bread to soak up the liquid.
    • Put the pan back on the heat again and add the remaining oil. Heat until hot. Dredge the Kefalotyri chunks in the flour, then place in the hot pan. Fry, turning once for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Turn off the heat and sprinkle on the lemon juice. Add the cheese to the salad.
    • Top the salad with slices of red onion. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    * You can use graviera, kefalograviera or kasseri cheese if you can't find kefalotyri. Use halloumi if you're really struggling to find any of those.
    .
    Nutritional Information is per serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 552kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 19gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 991mgPotassium: 329mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1215IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 680mgIron: 0.8mg
    Keywords salad, Super Salads
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

     

    Panzanella Salad with Saganaki - Italy meets Greece in this juicy Tuscan tomato salad with crispy fried Greek cheese.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    More Salads

    • A blue bowl full of orzo pasta salad with salmon on a wooden chopping board.
      Orzo Pasta Salad with Salmon
    • Overhead square image of a large oval white plate filled with Moroccan style couscous with oranges and pomegranate. The plate is on a wooden table, next to a dish of pomegranate. There are chopped dried apricots and fresh herbs scattered around.
      Moroccan Couscous Salad
    • Large bowl of green salad on a wooden surface. Blue napkin and jar of salad dressing is next to the bowl.
      Simple Green Salad with Vinaigrette dressing
    • A white plate filled with crispy lamb salad with tomato, feta and red onion. The plate is on a blue background and there is another plate, salad dressing and sliced of red onion scattered around in shot.
      Crispy Lamb Salad

    Other Recipes You Might Like:

    Homemade Cheese and Tomato Garlic Pizza Bread - a crisp dough with that perfect chewy interior, loaded with garlic, tomatoes and two types of cheese!
    Cheese and Tomato Garlic Pizza Bread + Some News!
    Cheese Stuffed Bread with Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato makes a great vegetarian lunch - Easy to make and ready in 20 mins!
    Cheese Stuffed Bread with Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato
    Overhead square image of chicken cacciatore in a large, shallow blue casserole dish. The dish is on a wooden table, next to some fresh herbs.
    Chicken Cacciatore
    Square close up image of Cheesy Mushroom Stuffed Garlic Breads topped with parsley.
    Creamy Garlic & Mushroom Stuffed Bread Rolls

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Rate the recipe




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Katy says

      May 29, 2018 at 9:37 am

      5 stars
      Hoping I can find some saganki when I go shopping later. Got some friends over for lunch tomorrow and I know they will love this.

      Reply
    2. Cosmas says

      February 11, 2018 at 11:11 pm

      5 stars
      I love your idea of the Greek fried cheese in your salad! The photo is all inspiring I must say. I do apologize however that I must correct something here... you see "saganaki" means skillet in Greece and the cheese you are referring to is called Kefalograviera. So what you are referring to is Kefalograviera saganaki! Don't worry it is a very common mistake, but as a Greek chef I am always compelled to make that notation!

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        March 23, 2018 at 4:56 pm

        Thanks Cosmas, I didn't realise that saganaki means skillet 🙂

        Reply
    3. Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed says

      September 14, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      Wow, this looks beautiful! Such a gorgeous looking salad 🙂

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        November 21, 2016 at 8:00 am

        Thanks Charlie 🙂

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    Recipes by category:

    • Popular Recipes
    • Asian
    • Curries
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • British Classic Recipes
    • BBQ
    • Roast Dinner
    • Street Food
    • Pasta
    Search For a Recipe

    Our Top Trending Recipes:

    • Crispy Sesame Chicken on a bed of rice in a stone bowl
      Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce
    • honey garlic chicken in a bowl on top of boiled rice
      Honey Garlic Chicken
    • Roast potatoes with salt and fresh thyme leaves
      The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
    • Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon - a family favourite (and it makes great leftovers too!).
      Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon
    • Chicken curry in a white bowl with rice.
      Easy Chicken Curry
    • Satay sauce in a small copper pan topped with peanuts and coriander
      Easy Satay Sauce Recipe
    • Bowl of Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds and strips of spring onion.
      Korean Fried Chicken
    • Overhead image of tuna pasta bake in a white dish topped with finely chopped parsley.
      Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake

    FREE recipes direct to your inbox!

    Never miss a recipe and sign up for our completely FREE emails.

      Featured Recipes:

      • Hands holding bowl of Bowl of chilli con carne with rice
        Chilli Con Carne
      • Lancashire hotpot on wooden background
        Traditional Lancashire Hotpot
      • A dish of creamy chicken pie with puff pastry sat on a blue and white striped cloth.
        Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
      • Egg fried rice on a dark bowl on a white background.
        Egg Fried Rice
      • Bowl of Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds and strips of spring onion.
        Korean Fried Chicken
      • Firecracker Chicken on a blue plate against a dark background
        Copycat Firecracker Chicken
      • Square image of buffalo chicken pasta in a silver pan on a light grey background.
        Buffalo Chicken Pasta
      • A simple made-from-scratch curry, slow cooked to intensify the heat and flavour.
        Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Curry
      As Featured On
      brit and co logo
      buzzfeed logo
      cheshire life logo
      country living logo
      beautiful home and life logo
      my fitness pal logo
      Neff logo
      The telegraph logo
      The Kitchn logo
      Vegetarian society logo

      Footer

      Nicky Corbishley is the recipe creator and photographer for Kitchen Sanctuary. Wife to Chris (chief techie and videographer) and mum to Lewis and Gracey. Read More…

      DMCA.com Protection Status

      Most Recent Recipes

      • Garlic and Coriander Potatoes
      • Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
      • Chicken Breast Recipes
      • Dal Makhani Recipe
      • Chicken Cacciatore

      Copyright © 2023 LoveFoodCreative Ltd - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Terms & Conditions