Italian Chopped Salad
With lots of different ingredient options, this Italian Chopped Salad can be easily customized for any kind of eater from vegans to vegetarians to carnivores.
I find myself turning things that aren’t meant to be a salad into a salad.
If I have leftover pasta I just add greens and whatever veggies I have around and toss everything in some sort of vinaigrette.
What makes these spontaneous salads so good is the different textures and flavors all in one bowl.
Some of the salads I put lots of thought into still look like I whipped them up on a whim. So much for planned things still looking unplanned!
I absolutely love any and every chopped salad. They tend to be crunchy and so satisfying.
Chopped salads are endlessly adaptable.
They are great for entertaining because you can set up bowls with a variety of ingredients. Then your guests can add whatever they want.
It can be tough to handle everyone’s food preferences and allergies.
Creating a mini salad bar is an easy way to let friends and family customize their meal without too much effort from you.
As long as you don’t go totally crazy, you really can’t mess up chopped salad.
It’s meant to be a hodgepodge that has more than just lettuce in every bite. Very straightforward!
Italian Chopped Salad: The Ingredients
With endless options, it helps to come up with a theme to focus your efforts. You can’t go wrong with a classic Italian chopped salad.
This one has chickpeas, salami, Gorgonzola, roasted tomatoes, olives and scallions.
Of course, meat and cheese are optional.
The greens are a mix of romaine and pleasantly bitter radicchio.
An Italian chopped salad is an excuse to take a trip to the olive bar at the grocery.
You can definitely make adjustments and go vegetarian. Feel free to skip the salami completely and add other ingredients like hard-boiled eggs.
Rotisserie chicken transforms this Italian chopped salad into a main on its own.
Not a fan of strong cheeses like Gorgonzola, try feta, goat or Parmesan. Leave out the cheese for vegans.
I tossed the greens with a simple red wine vinaigrette.
Again, don’t be scared to experiment and go off-recipe.
Try These Other Chopped Salads
Autumn Chopped Salad
Mexican Chopped Salad
Italian Chopped Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For salad
1 large head romaine (about 1 pound), chopped
1/2 head radicchio (about 4 ounces), chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped roasted tomatoes
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
2 ounces chopped salami (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
For vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the salad, combine the romaine, radicchio, scallions, tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, salami, parsley and Gorgonzola. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Toss the vinaigrette in the salad before serving.
Notes
For vegetarians, leave out the salami.
For vegans, don’t add the cheese.
Other good additions include roasted chicken and hard-boiled eggs.
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