Italian Chopped Salad
Hearty Italian Chopped Salad is a delicious, healthy meal or side dish. Filled with crisp veggies, savory salami and fresh mozzarella cheese tossed in a simple red wine vinaigrette, it’s full of flavor.
I’ve always been a fan of chopped salads brimming with fresh, tasty veggies. I’ll be the first to admit that our family eats a lot of carbs and meat, so sometimes all I want is a jumbo serving of vegetables!
This Italian Chopped Salad make a great side or main course! This simple yet special dish is made with crisp, crunchy vegetables, finely cubed mozzarella cheese, savory dry salami and topped with a zesty herbed red wine vinaigrette.
This hearty salad tastes great served with a side of garlic bread. It’s also a great dish to bring to a potluck, or to serve for a crowd, too.
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Ingredients Needed for Italian Chopped Salad with Zesty Dressing
To make Italian Chopped Salad with Dressing, you’ll need a few simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. You can also scroll to the end of this post for the full printable recipe card with all of the measurements you need.
For the Salad:
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Black olives
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Green bell peppers
- Banana peppers
- Salami
- Fresh basil and parsley
For the Zesty Dressing:
- Extra-virgin olive oil (preferably labeled “extra-light tasting”)
- Red wine vinegar
- Minced garlic
- Dijon mustard
- 1-2 lemons, juiced
- Dried oregano
- Sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Sugar
How to Make Italian Chopped Salad
Begin by chopping, dicing, and slicing the ingredients listed in the salad ingredients section. Set aside.
In a deep glass or tall jar, combine all the dressing ingredients and use an immersion blender to mix them thoroughly.
Assemble the salad by layering the chopped lettuce, followed by the halved cherry tomatoes, diced green bell peppers, diced cucumbers, cubed mozzarella cheese, sliced salami, thinly sliced red onions, sliced black olives, banana peppers, and the chopped basil and parsley.
Finish by tossing the layered salad with the prepared zesty dressing.
Spoon the salad into a large bowl, or onto a platter if sharing, and enjoy!
Italian Chopped Salad
Hearty Italian Chopped Salad is a delicious, healthy meal or side dish. Filled with crisp veggies, savory salami and fresh mozzarella cheese tossed in a simple red wine vinaigrette, it’s full of flavor.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 cups of Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup of cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup of black olives, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup of green bell peppers, diced
- 1/4 cup of banana peppers, sliced
- 1/4 cup of salami, sliced
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
For the Zesty Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably labeled "extra-light tasting"
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 or 2 lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Begin by chopping, dicing, and slicing the ingredients listed in the salad ingredients section. Set aside.
- In a deep glass or tall jar, combine all the dressing ingredients and use an immersion blender to mix them thoroughly.
- Assemble the salad by layering the chopped lettuce, followed by the halved cherry tomatoes, diced green bell peppers, diced cucumbers, cubed mozzarella cheese, sliced salami, thinly sliced red onions, sliced black olives, banana peppers, and the chopped basil and parsley.
- Finish by tossing the layered salad with the prepared zesty dressing.
- Spoon the salad into a large bowl for a main course, small bowl for a side dish, or onto a platter if sharing, and enjoy!
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