Cialledda is a traditional southern Italian bread salad from both Basilicata and Puglia. This bright, flavorful dish combines stale bread with cucumber, tomato, red onion and plenty of fragrant oregano. It’s perfect for hot weather, quick to prepare and an excellent way to use day-old bread.
You may be familiar with Panzanella; Cialledda is its southern cousin, sharing the same idea of rehydrated bread mixed with fresh vegetables. One traditional ingredient is carosello, a melon-cucumber hybrid found in southern Italy. If you can’t find carosello, an English cucumber—peeled and seeded—works very well.
To assemble the salad, soak cubed stale bread briefly in a little water, then combine with diced cucumber, chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Toss gently and let the flavors meld. The salad is refreshing straight away, but benefits from resting a few hours in the refrigerator.
See the recipe below for ingredient notes, step-by-step photos and tips. For a printable recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Stale bread – use white crusty bread that’s a few days old so it rehydrates nicely. If your bread is still soft, use little or no water. You can also use friselle (twice-baked ring bread).
- Tomatoes – choose ripe, juicy summer tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Oregano – dried oregano works well; a Sicilian variety adds an especially authentic aroma.
- Red onion – regular red onion is fine, or use sweet Tropea onions for a milder touch.
- Cucumber – peel and remove the seeds. Traditionally carosello is used; substitute with an English cucumber if necessary.
Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Prepare the bread – cut the bread into cubes and place them in a bowl with a little water. Let it soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Cut the cucumber – peel, halve and seed the cucumber, then dice and put it in a mixing bowl.
- Prepare the other vegetables – chop the tomatoes and slice the onion thinly. Add them to the bowl with the cucumber, then add the soaked bread.
- Toss everything together – add oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper, then toss gently until well combined. Serve immediately or chill for a few hours to deepen the flavors.
Recipe tips
- Adjust water for bread freshness – if your bread is fresh, use little or no water; juicy tomatoes will provide plenty of moisture.
- Use quality ingredients – this simple salad relies on good produce: ripe tomatoes, flavorful olive oil, and aromatic oregano make a big difference.
- Variations – optional additions include olives, fresh basil or canned tuna in olive oil for a heartier dish.
More Italian summer salads to try
Salads
Insalata Pantesca (Sicilian Potato Salad)
Salads
Insalata di Riso (Italian Rice Salad)
Salads
Italian Tuna Potato Salad
Salads
Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna and Tropea Onions
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips to make them successfully the first time.
Cialledda (Southern Italian Bread Salad)
By Emily
Ingredients
- 2 large slices (100g/3.5oz) crusty bread
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 7 oz (200g) cucumber or carosello
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Cut the bread into cubes and place in a bowl. Add the water and let the bread sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
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Peel the cucumber, halve and remove the seeds. Dice and add to a mixing bowl.
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Thinly slice the onion and chop the tomatoes. Add them to the bowl with the cucumber, then add the soaked bread, oregano, olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
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Toss everything gently until evenly combined. Serve immediately or chill for a few hours for best flavor.
Notes
- Stale bread – adjust the water depending on how fresh your bread is; juicy tomatoes can rehydrate soft bread.
- Good quality ingredients – choose ripe tomatoes, good bread, fragrant oregano and a flavorful olive oil for the best results.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I typically use extra virgin olive oil unless noted otherwise.
- All vegetables listed are medium-sized unless specified.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven when relevant.
- Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline.