We love a dinner-worthy salad in this house and this Antipasto Chopped Salad is a great one! A dinner salad has to have lots of tasty bits to avoid being hungry two hours later, and plenty of protein and fiber helps. We've got it all in here, with beans and vegetables mixed in with cheese and cured meats. Everything gets a toss with a red wine vinaigrette and it's so easy to have on the table for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients and Preparation
We start with a big head of Romaine lettuce, chopped into ribbons so that every bite has that crunch. You can definitely switch up the meat in this salad, but we typically use pepperoni and salami. I like them cut into different shapes so that the whole salad has lots of texture. Substitute ham, prosciutto, or mortadella if you prefer. I always add shredded mozzarella for that smooth cheese flavor and texture! For vegetables, I like diced zucchini, chopped tomatoes, and strips of roasted red bell pepper. A few sliced black olives and a handful of garbanzo beans help to finish off the list of usual ingredients, but feel free to add in your favorite antipasto components. Pepperoncini, cubed Romano cheese, or marinated artichokes would all be great additions.
The salad dressing is a really simple mixture of red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. I shake it all up in a jar and keep it tableside for everyone to add as they please. This is my standard salad dressing for any green salad, too, so there's always a jar of it in the fridge.
Serving Antipasto Chopped Salad
I like to bring this to the table as a DIY salad situation. I make a platter of all the possible toppings and place it alongside a bowl of shredded Romaine. This way the kids can make their plate however they like and then we tend to toss everything that's left into the lettuce bowl and coat it with dressing. This salad can be prepared ahead of time this way too. As long as you don't mix all of the ingredients together, they'll last a day in the fridge for a no-fuss meal when entertaining guests. I like to serve this salad with a side of warmed crusty Italian bread.
Try It and Share
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If you have picky eaters at home and want to try another DIY dinner option to give them a bit of control over their plate, I have another option! My Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad has plenty of kid-friendly ingredients and makes a great weeknight meal for the whole family.
Antipasto Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large head romaine, sliced into ribbons
- ½ cup black olives, chopped
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 3 oz. pepperoni slices, diced
- 4 oz. salami, cut into small cubes
- 2 plum or Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 jarred roasted red pepper, cut into strips
- 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
- ¾ teaspoon oregano leaves, dried
Instructions
- Shake the dressing ingredients in a small jar until well combined.
- Toss all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl to distribute them evenly. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Serve immediately.
[…] Antipasto Chopped Salad: crisp, fresh, and full of all the good stuff […]