I call this my Next-Level Italian Chopped Salad for good reason. It’s packed with vibrant vegetables and goodies. What’s even better? It’s quick, easy to make, and totally customizable. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but a lot are pantry staples and are easy to find.
Whether it’s a holiday gathering, a casual dinner, or a potluck, this salad always delivers.
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This hearty Italian chopped salad is a celebration of bold flavors and textures. With crisp, crunchy lettuce, fresh produce, two kinds of cheeses, and salty salami, it’s satisfying and delicious. But the real showstopper? The homemade Italian dressing and pickled red onions tie everything together with zesty perfection.
This salad is the ultimate sidekick to your favorite Italian dishes—think lasagna, pasta, or pizza.
Top Tips for Making This Salad a Showstopper:
- Use fresh mozzarella: The mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine) work perfectly but shredded mozzarella works well too.
- Choose your favorite olives: Black olives are a classic, but any variety you love will shine, including green and kalamata olives.
- Don’t skip the pickled red onions: They add an incredible tangy punch and last for 2-3 months.
- Add fresh herbs: If you have them, a mix of basil, parsley, or oregano takes the flavors up a notch.
- Sprinkle with dried herbs: A little pinch bit of dried oregano and red pepper flakes add a ton of flavor.
- Go for quality salami: Slice it into strips or cubes—it’s a flavor-packed addition either way.
- Let the cheese and salami come to room temperature: it enhances their texture and taste.
Ingredients You'll Need
Salad Ingredients:
- Greens: little gem lettuce or romaine hearts and arugula.
- Hard-boiled eggs, optional
- Vegetables: Carrots, cucumbers, olives, grape or cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions
- Garbanzo beans, canned. Drained and rinsed.
- Pickled red onions, or red onions (recipe below in the recipe card).
- Cheese: Mozzarella and provolone cheese
- Salami, sliced into strips
- Italian parsley roughly chopped
- Seasonings: Dried oregano, red pepper flakes (optional) salt and pepper
- Dressing: Italian dressing (recipe below), blue cheese dressing, Caesar or ranch dressing, or healthy ranch dressing for serving
- Warmed crusty bread, for serving
Dressing Ingredients:
- White wine vinegar
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic minced or grated
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Crushed red pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Olive oil
- Neutral oil (sunflower, avocado, canola)* or just use olive oil
- Salt and Black pepper
Equipment You’ll Need:
- A sharp knife
- A large mixing bowl
- A can opener
- A sturdy cutting board
How to make Italian Chopped Salad
It’s the perfect bite—salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy, and tangy—coming together in minutes.
- Make the pickled red onions.
- Make the Italian dressing or dressing of your choice.
- Assemble the salad and serve!
Flavor Boost Tip!
If you’re hosting a special occasion or simply want to wow your friends and family, I highly recommend making the dressing and pickled red onions from scratch. Trust me, it’s the secret that takes this salad from great to extraordinary!
Optional Add-Ins for Extra Flavor:
- Pepperoncini peppers
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Roasted red peppers
- Banana peppers
- Green bell peppers
- Artichoke hearts
- Steak or chicken for extra protein.
What to serve with Chopped Italian Salad
- Margherita pizza
- BBQ chicken pizza
- Garlic bread
- Pasta salads
- Garlic chili spaghetti
- Cold cuts
- Shrimp Fra Diavola
- Bruschetta Chicken
Storage Tip:
If you’re prepping ahead, store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator, keeping the dressing separate. This salad is perfect for meal prep and stays fresh for 2–3 days when stored properly—making it a lifesaver for busy weeks.
Recipe
Italian Chopped Salad
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 4 cups Little Gem lettuce or romaine. About 2 heads, washed, chopped and dried
- 2 cups Arugula or radicchio
- 2 large Hard-boiled eggs peeled and sliced into quarters, optional
- ½ cup Carrots shredded
- ½ cup Cucumber diced
- ½ cup Garbanzo beans
- ⅓ cup Olives black or green
- 1 cup Tomatoes cherry, grape or diced
- ¼ cup Pickled red onions recipe below
- ½ cup Mozzarella fresh. Diced or small balls
- ½ cup Provolone cheese diced
- ½ cup Salami sliced into strips or cubes
- ¼ cup Italian parsley or basil or both! roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano or basil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Italian dressing blue cheese dressing, Caesar or ranch dressing, for serving
- Warmed crusty bread for serving, optional
For the Italian dressing:
- ⅛ cup White wine vinegar
- ⅛ cup Red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove Garlic minced or grated
- 1-2 tablespoons Honey
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Neutral Oil sunflower, avocado, canola
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
For the Pickled Red Onions:
- ½ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ small red onion sliced
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Instructions
For the Pickled Red Onions
- In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer. Add the onions, turn off the heat, and let cool. Transfer the onions to a mason jar and refrigerate. These will keep for 2–3 months.
For the Italian Dressing
- In a mason jar or personal blender, combine all ingredients and blend or shake well until thoroughly mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
For the Salad
- Chop the Romaine or Little Gem lettuce into bite-sized pieces, then wash and rinse thoroughly using a salad spinner. Ensure the greens are completely dry before assembling the salad for the best texture and flavor.
- In a large bowl layer the romaine and arugula, shredded carrots, cucumber, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, olives, pickled red onions, mozzarella, provolone, and hard-boiled eggs. Top with thinly sliced salami and a sprinkle of parsley, dried oregano, salt, and pepper for added flavor.
- Serve with this homemade Italian dressing or dressing of choice and some warm crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- Store pickled red onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
- Store dressing in refrigerator for up to 7 days.
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