Italian Chopped Salad with Dressing (Print Version)
Vibrant salad with fresh vegetables, salami, cheese, olives in zesty homemade dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad Components
01 - 4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
06 - 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
07 - 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced
08 - 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
09 - 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
10 - 3.5 oz Genoa salami, cut into thin strips
→ Homemade Italian Dressing
11 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
13 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1 tsp dried oregano
16 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
17 - 1/2 tsp salt
18 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
19 - 1/2 tsp honey (optional)
# How to Cook:
01 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and honey until emulsified and well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, roasted red peppers, olives, pepperoncini, mozzarella, Parmesan, and salami. Toss ingredients gently to distribute evenly.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently using salad tongs to coat all ingredients evenly without crushing delicate components. Serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The homemade dressing takes literally two minutes and makes you wonder why bottled ever seemed acceptable
- Every bite has that perfect salty crunch that makes you want to stand over the bowl eating more
02 -
- Dress this salad at the very last moment or the textures will turn sad and wilted on you
- The dressing needs to hit the salad while its slightly chilled for maximum crunch retention
03 -
- Cut everything into similar sized pieces so you get all flavors in every forkful
- Let the dressing sit for 10 minutes before using to let the garlic mellow out