Italian Chopped Salad Recipe
This is a salad, so don't get too hung up on the ingredients. If there's something you don't like, leave it out. If you love one ingredient more than others, add more. This is basically a guideline from my Italian family to yours.
Servings: 6 main course servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces romaine lettuce, chopped. This should be about 5 to 6 cups
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced, see Gr8 Notes
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 3 ounces hard salami, cut into small squares, about ¼"
- 3 ounces provolone cheese, cut into small squares, about ¼". I use the hard sharp provolone, but feel free to use the softer sandwich slices.
- 14 Castelvetrano olives, seeds removed and chopped, see Gr8 Notes
- 6 pepperoncini, drained and chopped
- 3 artichoke hearts, drained and diced. I use water packed, but if you only have oil packed, they'll work too.
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top
Simple Italian Dressing
- 3 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ ounces red wine vinegar, you can substitute lemon juice if you prefer. The flavor will be a bit different.
- 2 large garlic cloves, put through a garlic press, or crushed and diced. Use less or more depending on your taste.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Toss all the salad ingredients together.
- Start by pouring half the dressing on and tossing. Continue until the salad is dressed to your liking.
- Serve, passing the Parmesan separately to sprinkle on top.
Dressing
- Put dressing ingredients into a lidded jar or dressing shaker, seal the container and shake until emulsified. OR, use a whisk to emulsify the ingredients.
Notes
Gr8 Tip:
Tomatoes - Roma tomatoes are recommended because they tend to be less juicy than other types of tomatoes. If you cut your tomato open and discover that its rather juicy, simply remove the seeds and juice and proceed with chopping. Olives - To easily seed the olives I use my cherry pitter. It works like a charm!Gr8 Do Ahead Tips:
The dressing can be made up to four days ahead of time. Refrigerate and bring to room temperature before using. You may need to re-shake it. Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!