Italian Chopped Salad with Homemade Dressing (Print Version)
Vibrant salad with crisp vegetables, salami, cheese, olives, and zesty homemade Italian dressing ready in 20 minutes.
# Recipe Ingredients:
→ 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
# Directions:
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 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.
03 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly without crushing delicate components.
04 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan if desired. For optimal texture, consume within 30 minutes of dressing.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything gets chopped into bite sized pieces so every forkful delivers the perfect combination of flavors.
- The homemade dressing whisks together in under a minute and tastes far better than anything from a bottle.
02 -
- Wait to dress the salad until the very last minute or the lettuce will lose its satisfying crunch.
- Taste a piece of salami before adding salt to the dressing since cured meats vary significantly in saltiness.
03 -
- Use a jar with a tight lid for the dressing so you can shake it to re emulsify if it separates while sitting.
- Chopping everything to roughly the same size ensures the perfect bite every time.