This Chopped Italian Salad is full of flavor – savory, salty, spicy, cheesy, and tangy. Tossed in homemade dressing, this salad is refreshing and satisfying.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this Chopped Italian Salad because there are just so many different flavors happening that it’s like a party in my mouth. The dressing is simple, yet delicious, and it’s perfect with this combination of meat, cheese, and veggies. I also like how everything is chopped so you can get a little bit of everything in each bite. You’re going to love this colorful dish.
- TASTE: Salty salami, rich mozzarella cheese, sweet tomatoes, and spicy pepperoncini give this salad lots of flavor. Add in the tangy dressing for a salad you won’t forget.
- TEXTURE: This Chopped Italian Salad has lots of crunchy veggies, tender chickpeas, juicy tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella. Every bite is amazing.
- TIME: It only takes 25 minutes to make this salad.
- EASE: With no cooking, this recipe just requires chopping ingredients and mixing the dressing. Super easy for a summer salad.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Lettuce- I like iceberg lettuce for this salad because it’s extra crunchy and refreshing.
- Cucumber- I used an English cucumber, but you can also use regular cucumbers.
- Cherry tomatoes- These are nice and sweet and the perfect size for a chopped salad.
- Onion- I like red onion for this salad because it’s got a good flavor and adds a pop of color.
- Chickpeas- You can use canned or dry chickpeas that you have cooked yourself. Just make sure they are nice and tender.
- Mozzarella pearls- These are the best shape for this salad and they are so creamy and rich.
- Pepperoncini- These peppers are tangy and spicy, but you can skip them if you don’t like spice.
- Salami- Any type of salami is fine here.
- Red wine vinegar- This has a sweet, tangy flavor that is the base for the dressing.
- Olive oil- This light oil is perfect for this salad’s dressing.
- Dijon mustard- This emulsifies and holds the oil and vinegar together while adding tangy flavor.
- Honey- I love this added sweetness that balances out the other flavors.
- Italian seasoning- This mix of spices adds earthy, citrusy notes to the dressing.
- Lemon juice- For some fresh, citrus flavor.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the lettuce- Butter lettuce, radicchio, arugula, or romaine lettuce are all options for the base of this salad.
- Add other savory ingredients- You might want to try this salad with some marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, provolone, pepperoni, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Use another dressing- You can use any dressing you like, including ranch, bleu cheese, Greek dressing, or whatever your favorite is.
How to Make a Chopped Italian Salad
- Prepare the dressing. In a large measuring cup, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and salt. Whisk everything together until smooth and fully emulsified, then set aside.
- Prep all the salad ingredients. Shred the lettuce, slice the pepperoncini and salami, and cut the cucumber into small wedges or bite-sized cubes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and finely dice the red onion.
- Add the lettuce and arrange the ingredients. Add the shredded lettuce to a large serving bowl, then arrange the remaining ingredients evenly over the top.
- Toss the salad to serve. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated.
Pro Tip: This salad looks very appealing when the ingredients are arranged in lines, so feel free to serve it like that. Toss it with the dressing when everyone is ready to eat.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the ingredients the same size- The best part of a chopped salad is that you can get a little of everything in each bite, so make sure to cut everything to a similar size.
- Don’t skip the Dijon- Use the Dijon mustard because it emulsifies the oil and vinegar. Otherwise, they wuld float arounf each other, completely separate.
- Toss right before serving- Dressing can make salads soggy, so don’t add it too far ahead of serving. You want those crisp veggies to stand out.
FAQs
And Italian chopped salad is usually made up of savory elements (salami, mozzarella, provolone), crispy elements (iceberg lettuce, cucumber, onion), and something spicy (pepperoncini). And Italian dressing is tossed in it. But these salads can have lots of variations, including adding olives, chickpeas, spices like oregano or parsley, and pepperoni as you like.
Some common mistakes are not chopping the lettuce, having ingredients that are very different sizes, and dressing the salad too early, causing it to get soggy.
Serving Suggestions
This homemade Chopped Italian Salad is so tasty, you can serve it with anything. Enjoy it with other Italian dishes, summer salads at a picnic, soups, or breads.
- Italian dishes: Serve this salad before a meal of Baked Eggplant Parmesan, Asparagus Pasta, Lemon Chicken Piccata, or Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo With Grilled Chicken.
- Salads: Pair this dish with other salads at a barbecue, like Caprese Pasta Salad, Salmon Potato Salad, Tri Color Pasta Salad (VIDEO), or BLT Pasta Salad.
- Soups: Enjoy this salad with a bowl of Tortellini Soup, Tomato Basil Soup, Chicken Meatball Soup, or minestrone.
- Breads: Some toasty Sourdough Focaccia, Garlic Cheese Bread, Focaccia Bread, or Buttery Brioche Bread goes great with this chopped salad.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make the dressing a few days ahead and store it in the refrigerator until needed. Don’t prep the veggies ahead of time because they will soften and leak water if left too long.
Storing: You can store this salad for a day in the fridge. It lasts a little longer before the dressing is added, but the dressing and the vegetables that are leaking moisture will cause the salad to get soggy.
Freeze: It’s best not to freeze this salad because vegetables usually thaw soggy because of all the liquid that freezes then thaws. It’s best to make this Italian chopped salad fresh.
More Tasty Salads!
Full Recipe Instructions
Chopped Italian Salad
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce or 2 small
- 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 3/4 cup chopped Genoa salami
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 1/2 cup chopped English cucumber
Italian dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the dressing. In a large measuring cup, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and salt. Whisk everything together until smooth and fully emulsified, then set aside. Tip: You can make the dressing a few days ahead and store it in the refrigerator until needed.
- Next, prep all the salad ingredients. Shred the lettuce, slice the pepperoncini and salami, and cut the cucumber into small wedges or bite-sized cubes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and finely dice the red onion.
- Add the shredded lettuce to a large serving bowl, then arrange the remaining ingredients evenly over the top.
- Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated.
Nutrition
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