This Italian Chopped Salad makes a filling main dish but can also be served as a side dish. This salad is bursting with flavor and is filled with salami, olives, tomatoes, provolone cheese, and pepperoncini peppers!
Drizzle with my Zesty Italian Dressing for a perfect finish!
Chopped Italian Salad
We love salads for dinner, but when served as a main dish, they must be hearty enough to keep everyone happy. This Italian Chopped Salad has all the delicious crunch I crave in a salad with just enough zesty flavor. The addition of salami and cheese adds protein to make us feel satisfied.
This is a great salad to add your personal touch. Add what you love and omit what you don't. I've also included a list of additional add-ins below.
Key ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Lettuce - Use crunchy lettuce like romaine or iceberg lettuce. Radicchio is also used for color and taste.
- Salami - I use hard salami sliced into thin strips.
- Cheese - Use provolone cheese sliced into small cubes. You could also use a bit of freshly shaved parmesan cheese on top of the salad.
- Tomatoes - Add color and flavor to the salad.
- Onions - Red onions add a punch of flavor. Slice the onions into thin strips.
- Olives - I like to use Kalamata olives, but black olives work too.
- Pepperoncini Peppers - Add a bit of zesty flavor.
- Italian Dressing - Homemade really is the best here and takes just a few minutes to make. You can also use your favorite store-bought dressing.
Making an Italian chopped salad
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Place chopped romaine lettuce in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Top with radicchio, salami, cheese, tomatoes, onions, olives and pepperoncini peppers.
- Drizzle about ½ cup of dressing over the top.
- Toss everything together.
- Add a bit more dressing if needed.
- Serve
Recipe tips
- Cut all the veggies into bite-sized pieces.
- Feel free to add additional veggies. Some great options include cucumbers, bell peppers and crunchy jicama.
- Make this salad vegetarian by omitting the salami.
- Want more meat? Add sliced turkey, ham or pepperoni.
- Once you add the dressing, serve right away.
Frequently asked questions
If you want to make it ahead of time, chop everything and store it in separate containers. When ready to serve, assemble the salad and add the dressing.
Once you add the dressing, you'll want to eat it right away. This salad may become soggy if it sits too long with the dressing added.
Serving suggestions
More delicious salads to try
- Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Asian Chicken Salad
- Greek Cucumber Salad
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious salads!
Italian Chopped Salad
Equipment
- Chef Knife
Ingredients
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce (about 6 cups of chopped lettuce)
- 1 cup Radicchio (sliced into thin strips)
- ½ cup Hard salami (sliced into thin strips)
- ½ cup Provolone cheese (cut into small cubes)
- ½ cup Cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)
- ½ cup Red onion (sliced into thin strips)
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives (sliced)
- ¼ cup Pepperoncini peppers (sliced)
- ½ - 1 cup Italian dressing
Instructions
- Place chopped romaine lettuce in the bottom of a large bowl.2 heads Romaine lettuce
- Top with radicchio, salami, cheese, tomatoes, onions, olives and pepperoncini peppers.1 cup Radicchio, ½ cup Hard salami, ½ cup Provolone cheese, ½ cup Cherry tomatoes, ½ cup Red onion, ¼ cup Kalamata olives, ¼ cup Pepperoncini peppers
- Drizzle about ½ cup of dressing over the top.½ - 1 cup Italian dressing
- Toss everything together.
- Add a bit more dressing if needed.
- Serve
Notes
- Cut all the veggies into bite-sized pieces.
- Feel free to add additional veggies. Some great options include cucumbers, bell peppers and crunchy jicama.
- Make this salad vegetarian by omitting the salami.
- Want more meat? Add sliced turkey, ham or pepperoni.
- Once you add the dressing, serve right away.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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