I made a big bowl of this salad the other night when we had our good friends over for a very casual dinner of take-out pizza. It looked so pretty. So, I did what I usually do before eating most anything…I snapped a photo of it with my phone and posted it to Instagram. Well, after some conversation about how take-out salads are pretty much awful and seeing how much my friends liked this chopped antipasto…I knew I had to share it with you.
There are so many great flavors in this salad and I think you’ll love my basic Italian dressing. Make this your own and add the things you love best in an antipasto. And if you don’t want the salami or ham, leave them out and it will still be delicious. It’s all about chopping things small, so that when you eat this, you’ll get a forkful of yumminess in each bite.
Wonderful on its own for lunch, a light dinner or to jazz up your favorite take-out pizza!
Buono Appetito!
Chopped Antipasto Salad
2 medium heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped into small pieces
1/2 small red onion, diced
12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
14 ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup Spanish olives
2 slices provolone cheese, sliced about 1/2″ thick and cubed
2 slices hard salami, slices about 1/2″ thick and cubed
2 slices ham, sliced about 1/2″ thick and cubed
1/2 cup mozzarella perline (tiny mozzarella balls)
about 8 – 10 peperoncini
Dressing
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine all of the salad ingredients in a very large bowl. This salad looks nicer in a wide and shallow bowl (it’s easier to see all the goodies in it and it’s easier to toss), but any large bowl works.
In a good size jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients. Cover and shake well. Dress with desired amount of dressing (there’s more than you’ll need…save the rest in the fridge) and toss lightly.
Notes:
- This dressing is a basic Italian-style dressing, but you can simply use a really nice extra virgin olive oil and your favorite red wine vinegar. There are so many flavors in the salad already…it would still be delicious.
- Serve this with pizza, like we love to, or with a nice warm loaf of crusty bread.
- I know I say this with most of my salads, but you can pack up any leftovers for lunches the following day. Put the dressing on the side and it’ll be fresh and perfect!
What a great salad! Perfect for a “dinner salad”
It was so wonderful to meet you this weekend! Let’s keep in touch and hopefully we can cross paths again soon.
Oh, thank you Kelli! We do eat this for dinner…with a nice crusty warm bread, it’s all you need! It really was so nice meeting you too! I had such a great time, it just flew by too fast! I’d love to meet up again soon!
What a gorgeous salad! Any salad involving olives sounds good to me. :)
I love olives too Kiersten! Especially Kalamatas! They make everything taste delicious! Thanks for stopping by!
that looks so good that i have to make it tonight.
Oooh…I hope you do! It is so good! Let me know how you like it! :)
Una meraviglia!! Complimenti e cari saluti dall’Italia laura
Thank you so much Laura! I’m flattered that you like it! :)