Italian Chopped Salad with Homemade Dressing (Printable Version)
Vibrant mix of fresh vegetables, salami, and cheese in zesty homemade dressing. Ready in 20 minutes.
# What You 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 Make It:
01 - Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and honey in a small bowl or jar until emulsified. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
02 - Place Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, roasted red peppers, olives, pepperoncini, mozzarella, Parmesan, and salami in a large salad bowl.
03 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad immediately before serving. Toss gently with tongs to coat all ingredients evenly without damaging the vegetables.
04 - Transfer to serving plates or bowls. Garnish with additional shaved Parmesan if desired. Serve promptly while vegetables remain crisp.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The homemade dressing tastes like something you would only find in a nonnas kitchen in Rome
- Every forkful delivers the perfect mix of crunch salt and tang without any single ingredient overpowering the rest
02 -
- Never dress this salad more than 15 minutes before serving or it will become soggy and sad
- Let the salami come to room temperature before adding it so the fat renders slightly and tastes more luxurious
03 -
- Buy block cheese and cube it yourself pre-cubed cheese from the deli counter has a weird texture and coating
- Massage a tiny bit of olive oil into the lettuce if you are not serving immediately to keep it crisp and prevent wilting