Hello, Italy! Enjoy the best flavors of the Mediterranean—juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, savory brine-cured olives, and fresh basil—in this classic vegan Italian tomato salad. It’s like a deconstructed bruschetta salad, or some may call it a bread salad. The red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil marries the flavors beautifully, and of course, no Italian dish would be complete without a hearty dose of bread!
We love recipes that use up ingredients that might otherwise be thrown away. This super-simple Italian tomato, olive, and bread salad is one of those perfect vegan salads, and it’s so delicious. Using those classic Mediterranean ingredients and some leftover bread (it’s okay if it’s getting hard!), you can prepare a super special salad you’ll keep on going back to. I have no doubt you’ll absolutely love this recipe from the 5-Ingredient Vegan cookbook by Nava Atlas.
Fresh Tomato Salad: The Perfect Side-Dish?
This simple but super flavorful salad would be an ideal side dish for a light veggie soup. Soups are a great main, but sometimes they are just not enough. That’s when this salad comes to the rescue! Adding fresh veggies and some comforting crunchy bread will round up the perfect lunch.
Here are a few of our favorite vegan soups to pair with this tomato salad recipe.
Add More Plant-Based Protein!
If you’re looking to add a plant protein punch to this delicious Italian bread salad, you have many ways to do so!
One topping that would go perfectly with this salad is some roasted chickpeas. Just coat them in olive oil and some spices in a 375° F oven and roast them for about 25 mins. They will blend in perfectly and make this salad a main just with one more step!
What about some sautéed crumbled tofu? Just add some olive oil and Italian herbs. Voila!
Zero-Waste Salad
Now more than ever, we need to worry about how much of what we consume or buy goes to waste. This is not only about reducing single-use plastic but also about needing less and using more of what we already have.
This also applies to our cooking, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s the simple things like:
- Saving your veggie scraps to make vegetable stock
- Saving those super ripe bananas to make banana soft serve or bake some banana muffins
- Make a simple soup with those soggy veggies
The days of throwing things away are coming to an end. With some creativity, everything can find a useful purpose. We promise! This salad is an excellent example of that.
Too often, our uneaten bread that gets hard is thrown away and is replaced with a new loaf. No more! Save that hard(ish) bread and make homemade croutons! Some olive, salt and pepper, and pop it in the oven for a few minutes. Perfect! Delicious in this salad—but you can also use these as a soup topping or for a vegan caesar salad!
Fancy More Vegan Italian & Mediterranean Recipes:
- Mediterranean Tabbouleh Salad
- Easy Lentil Bolognese
- Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Rainbow Pizza
- Spaghetti Arrabiata
More Vegan Salad Recipes You Must Try:
- Vegan Green Salad
- Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Delicata Squash Salad
- Oil-Free Creamy Vegan Salad Dressing
- Fresh Orzo Salad
Italian Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups Italian bread chunks, bite-sized pieces (1 inch or smaller)
- 1½ pounds flavorful ripe tomatoes, about 3 medium sized tomatoes (diced)
- ⅓ cup cured pitted olives, kalamata works great (sliced)
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds, or finely diced vegan mozzarella or jack cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300° F
- Arrange the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a serving bowl and toss together. Just before serving, stir in the bread cubes until well combined.
Video
Nutrition
About The Vegan Cookbook
The 5-Ingredient Vegan cookbook is the work of none-other than vegan expert chef Nava Atlas! Nava Atlas is an author with a serious love for vegan cooking and an incredibly committed to the cause of animal rights. She released her first vegetarian cookbook all the way back in 1984 (way before it was “cool”). She has been inspiring us with her recipes (and tales) ever since. 
This is one of those books to keep close! Simple but familiar recipes to turn to over and over again. From baked polenta fries to spinach pesto pasta to chocolate granola clusters and many more. You won’t let go of this one once you get it!
Vegan Italian tomato salad recipe and photos supplied by publisher with permission, 5-Ingredient Vegan by Nava Atlas, Sterling. Please note that this article contains affiliate links, which means shopping through them helps lights on at World of Vegan!
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Leave a Comment
This is such a great recipe
This is such a simple but delicious recipe!
I love this super easy recipe! Yum!
This is such a great side to pasta, but is awesome anytime. Love how fresh and light this salad tastes!
This was delicious for dinner tonight.
Wow! What a yummy and vibrant salad!
I love how fresh and delicious this salad is on a warm day! The three textures of soft olives, chewy bread and juicy tomatoes is so perfect. You’ll be super surprised at how much you’ll love this – I was!
What a clever way to use up day old bread and make a colorful and amazing salad. The flavors just pop! This will become a favorite of ours.
I’m a big fan of vegan bruschetta, but never in a million years would have thought of turning it into a salad. BRILLIANT. Made this for lunch and it’s totally delish!