Chopped Salad

This chopped salad is the salad for anyone who likes their greens with a lot of stuff. This is NOT a bed of arugula tossed with vinaigrette (but we have that arugula salad too!), nor is it a side salad made with a few slivers of carrot and cucumber and a crouton or two. This is a substantive main course salad with cheese, meat, beans, and olives.

Antipasto Chopped Salad

Big, bold Italian-inspired flavors. With Italian ingredients like salami, provolone cheese, fresh mozzarella, and a tangy vinaigrette dressing, you can expect robust flavor in every bite. Antipasto is the Italian version of a charcuterie board; this salad is a take on antipasto.

Super satisfying. This is a salad that eats like a meal!  With a variety of textures and flavors, lots of protein, and plenty of fiber, you’ll find yourself pleasantly satisfied (not unpleasantly full!) after eating this chopped salad.

Easy to eat. The idea behind a chopped salad is that everything is cut into bite-sized pieces. That makes it a “polite” salad. It doesn’t have big pieces of unwieldy greens that are hard to keep on your fork and politely get into your mouth. I also like that it allows you to combine different elements in a single forkful to get that perfect bite.

Customizable. The beauty of a chopped salad is that it’s easy to make it your own. I share some ideas below but there’s plenty of room to put your own unique spin on this recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Iceberg lettuce: I like iceberg lettuce for this salad because it holds up fairly well. If you’re not a fan of iceberg, romaine lettuce is a good alternative.
• Radicchio: Radicchio is sturdy and has a slightly bitter taste, adding depth to the salad. It also adds beautiful color.
• Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes will also work here. You could use a diced regular-size tomato but I find they tend to make the salad watery.
• Garbanzo beans: Canned beans should be rinsed and drained. For a slightly different spin on this recipe, you can substitute roasted chickpeas.
• Red onion: It’s best if the onions are sliced very thinly, almost shaved.This ensures that they add nice pungent flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.
• Kalamata olives: Kalamata olives are delicious with a distinctive flavor but if you have another favorite olive, feel free to substitute it. Make sure your olives are pitted!
• Three kinds of cheese: Mozzarella pearls, sharp provolone, and shredded parmesan cheese are quite different in flavor and texture so they add lots of excitement to this salad. If you can’t find the small pearls, use fresh mozzarella and cut it into cubes. Fontina is a good substitute for the sharp provolone. I usually add the Parmesan cheese as a topping when the salad is served but it’s optional.
• Genoa salami and pepperoni: These two cured meats pack in big flavor!
• Italian dressing: The dressing on this salad is a simple homemade vinaigrette made with olive oil, white wine vinegar, a bit of honey or sugar, and creamy Dijon mustard (added to emulsify the vinaigrette). The recipe is my Italian dressing recipe which can be used on other salads, too.
• Seasonings: You’ll need garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes to make the dressing.

How to Make Chopped Salad

Prep the salad ingredients. Rinse and pat dry the head lettuce and radicchio; chop it into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, halve or quarter them (whole cherry tomatoes are hard to spear and don’t absorb much dressing). Very thinly slice the red onion. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans. Cut the provolone cheese and salami into small cubes and chop the pepperoni, if desired.

Combine the salad ingredients. Put all of the salad ingredients (lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, red onion, olives, mozzarella, provolone, salami, and pepperoni) in a large bowl. Choose a bowl that’s even larger than you think you might need so you have plenty of extra room for tossing it. Lightly combine the salad ingredients. If you’re not ready to serve the salad, cover the bowl and refrigerate.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey (or sugar), mustard, and seasonings until the vinaigrette is emulsified (the oil and vinegar are combined). Alternatively, if you have a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, you can shake dressing ingredients until they’re mixed.

Dress the salad. When you’re ready to serve the salad, pour the dressing into the bowl with the salad. Gently toss to combine; I use a light touch to keep from breaking apart the mozzarella.

Season to taste, and serve. Taste the chopped salad and add more salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tips and Variations

• Serve the dressing on the side for a party. I actually like to toss the salad with a small amount of dressing when I make it, and then serve the rest of the dressing on the side in a small pitcher or cruet. The advantages of serving the salad in this manner are that guests can choose their own amount of dressing, plus it helps keep the salad crisper longer.
• Make it vegetarian. Sun-dried tomatoes make a “meaty” substitute for  the salami and pepperoni, or you can add extra chickpeas, toasted nuts, or marinated mushrooms.
• Switch up the add-ins. As long as you keep the ingredient proportions nearly the same, feel free to add or swap ingredients. Artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, cucumbers—they’re all good!
• Take a shortcut. Use your favorite store-bought Italian dressing if you prefer. You’ll need ¾ to 1 cup of dressing.

Serving Ideas

Store leftover chopped salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing separate if possible; if the salad is already dressed, it will still last about 2 days but the greens will be much softer. You can perk things up by adding fresh greens to the mix.

For the Dressing (see note)

• In a large bowl, combine lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, red onion, olives, mozzarella, provolone, salami, and pepperoni.

  1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces, 2 cups chopped radicchio, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, ½ red onion, thinly sliced and chopped into ½ inch pieces, ½ cup kalamata olives, halved or sliced, 4 oz. mozzarella pearls or fresh mozzarella, cubed, 4 oz. sharp provolone cheese, cubed, 4 oz. Genoa salami, chopped, ½ cup pepperoni, chopped

• In a small bowl or jar, combine olive oil, vinegar, honey (or sugar), Dijon mustard, garlic powder, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, red pepper flakes. Whisk (or shake) well to emulsify.

  ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey or granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, pinch red pepper flakes, or more to taste

• When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated.

• Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, adding more salt, pepper, or a splash of vinegar if desired.

• Serve with a generous amount of freshly shredded parmesan cheese if desired.

• Salad variations: Feel free to adjust salad toppings and ingredients to your liking, keeping the general ratios the same so that you have enough dressing to coat all the ingredients. Try adding or substituting: pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped cucumber, chopped bell pepper, and so on. Different types of cheese or olives can be used. If you’re not a fan of olives, leave them out. The salad can be made without meat, if you prefer. 
• Shortcut: Use your favorite bottled Italian dressing instead of making the homemade dressing.
• Makes about 18 cups of salad.

Serving: 2generous cups, Calories: 401kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 1228mg, Potassium: 469mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 898IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 237mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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