Italian chopped salad is filled with fresh greens and flavorful toppings like mozzarella, salami, pepperoncini, and sun-dried tomatoes. It makes a great lunch salad or side salad for your meal.
This Italian chopped salad makes the perfect side dish when paired with pizza, spaghetti, or grilled chicken. It also makes a great lunch salad on its own!
Fresh greens are topped with chickpeas, salami, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoncini, red onion, and fresh cherry tomatoes. Tons of toppings = tons of flavor!
If you're trying to add more fresh produce to your meals, this salad will point you in the right direction. It's light, yet filling, and jam-packed with flavorful ingredients. It's the perfect salad for spring and summer lunches.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Lettuce - I used romaine lettuce, but any leafy greens will work in this recipe. Iceberg or green leaf lettuce make great substitutes.
- Salami - Can be substituted with diced ham or pepperoni.
- Sliced pepperoncini - These can be found in jars near the pickles at your local grocer. They can also be substituted with sliced banana peppers if desired.
- Fresh mozzarella pearls - Can be substituted with provolone, parmesan cheese, feta cheese, or your favorite cheese you have on hand.
- Chickpeas - Add a bit of bulk, fiber, and protein to your salad. Chickpeas could be substituted with other cooked beans you have on hand, like cannellini beans or kidney beans.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - Add a significant amount of flavor to the salad. I don't recommend omitting this ingredient.
- Red onion - Adds flavor, crunch, and color to your salad.
- Tomato - Cherry or grape tomatoes work in this salad.
Salad dressing
For this recipe, you'll be making a simple vinaigrette dressing. You'll only need a few, easy-to-find ingredients that you may already have on hand.
- Olive oil - Can be substituted with canola oil, grapeseed oil, or any neutral oil you have on hand.
- Dijon mustard - Adds tangy flavor and acts as an emulsifier when your dressing is mixed, helping hold the ingredients together.
- Red wine vinegar - Adds tart flavor and balances with the heaviness of the oil. Red wine vinegar could be substituted with apple cider vinegar if desired.
- Italian seasoning - Store bought or homemade Italian seasoning works in this recipe. It can be substituted with a combination of any of these dried herbs you have on hand: oregano, basil, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme.
Tips and tricks
Chop ingredients evenly - For best texture when serving, chop your ingredients evenly and to a similar size.
Use a whisk - Whisk your dressing ingredients together until they emulsify to create a smooth, even dressing. The mustard acts as an emulsifier, which prevents your dressing from separating after mixing.
Store dressing separately - Prepare your salad ingredients and dressing ingredients separately, then dress your salad just before serving.
Storage
This salad is easy to make ahead of an event or party, but is best served within 24 hours.
To make this salad ahead of time, prepare your salad ingredients in a large bowl, then cover and store in the refrigerator. Store the dressing separately from the salad. Add your dressing and toss to coat just before serving.
Leftovers will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator when salad and dressing are stored separately.
Frequently asked questions
A chopped salad contains ingredients that are chopped into small, bite size pieces instead of leaving ingredients whole or greens left in large pieces. Each bite tends to have more of the ingredients included rather than just one or two.
An Italian chopped salad makes a good lunch salad served on its own, or as a side salad for a larger meal. I like to serve this chopped salad with Italian sloppy joes, spaghetti and meatballs, and spaghetti aglio e olio.
Other common toppings include black olives, croutons, cabbage, cucumber, ham, and carrots.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Italian Chopped Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 large romaine lettuce hearts
- ½ red onion, thin sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 ounces sliced pepperoncini
- 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces salami, thin sliced
- 4 ounces mozzarella pearls
Dressing
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry the lettuce, then chop into bite size pieces. Add to a large bowl along with the remaining salad ingredients: red onion, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, salami, and mozzarella pearls. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Store salad and dressing in the refrigerator, separately, until ready to serve. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss until evenly coated. Or, toss salad ingredients and serve with dressing to the side.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Servings: Recipe makes 6+ side salads or 4 large lunch salads.
- Planning for leftovers: Dressed salad does not keep well. Only add dressing to salad you plan on serving immediately. Store leftover salad and dressing separately in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers: Leftover salad (without dressing) will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
- Variations: Salami can be substituted with chopped ham or pepperoni. Romaine can be substituted with any fresh greens you have on hand.
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