BLT Panzanella
A smoky-sweet BLT-inspired panzanella salad made vegan! Load it up with your favorite summer veg and dive on in.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
COCONUT BACON:
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips/flakes*
DRESSING:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch salt
- fresh-cracked black pepper
BREAD:
- 1 large slice of good sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized chunks
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- pinch salt
- freshly-cracked black pepper
SALAD**:
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1-2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 cup corn kernels (I used thawed frozen)
- 1/4 english cucumber, sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed
Instructions
- MIX UP THE COCONUT BACON: In a medium bowl, combine your soy sauce, oil, maple syrup, tomato paste, and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine.
- Add your coconut chips and toss to coat completely. Allow to marinade for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a large plate or cookie sheet with paper towels.
- MAKE THE DRESSING: Whisk your dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add your diced tomatoes into it to quickly marinate. Set aside.
- COOK THE COCONUT BACON: Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Working in two batches, scoop out some of the coconut bacon and add it to your pan, leaving any additional liquid in the bowl to discard.
- Cook your bacon, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden. If certain pieces start to get darker than others, you can use tongs to remove them and place them on your paper towel-lined plate. Try to keep the pieces of coconut separated as they cook. They’ll crisp further as they cool. Set aside.
- TOAST YOUR BREAD: Toss your bread, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toast in a toaster oven or air fryer until golden. I used a toaster oven at 335 degrees F for about 5 minutes. Add to your dressing/tomato mixture and toss.
- ASSEMBLE: Add your other salad ingredients to the bowl with your tomatoes and bread, and toss again. Top with a nice handful or two of your coconut bacon (leftovers store well in an air-tight container in the fridge). Dive in, and enjoy!
Notes
*I used shredded coconut because I couldn’t find the big flaked coconut anywhere (I went to multiple stores!). Shredded worked, but the big flaked coconut is better.
**These are the ingredients I used the day I shot this recipe, but feel free to swap in your favorite summer veg!
Find it online: https://www.fooduzzi.com/2025/07/vegan-blt-panzanella/