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This Italian Chopped Salad is better than any restaurant version you have ever had! It is loaded with freshly chopped veggies like cucumber, red onion, and tomatoes along with briny olives, peppers, and artichokes. All of that goodness is piled on top of cool, crisp romaine lettuce, tossed in a zesty, robust Italian dressing. It is a gourmet Italian salad you can serve as a side or main dish that is also vegetarian and gluten-free.
You are going to love this Italian chopped Salad! It is wonderfully fresh, crunchy, and loaded with incredible Italian flavors. Chopped salads are one of the best no-cook sides or main meals that are so fun to eat since each element of the salad is chopped into bite-size pieces.
Plus, there is no cooking required, which is a bonus!
This yummy Italian salad is vegetarian and gluten-free and goes great with so many things, especially lasagna or pizza. I know that chopping up all of the lettuce and veggies seems daunting but trust me it is 100% worth it. So turn on some music and chop away!
In this Italian Salad Recipe, we added some hearty chickpeas in place of the meat to keep it more plant-based and vegetarian. Of course, you can add some sliced salami, salmon, or chicken if that’s what you prefer. The final touch is the savory, herby, robust Italian dressing that is AMAZING!
Why you’ll love this Italian chopped salad Recipe
- Quick and easy – you can make it in about 10 minutes.
- Healthy – this chopped Italian salad is plant-based and gluten-free!
- Packed with flavor and crunch – loaded with fresh, crisp veggies, salty olives, artichokes, and chickpeas, and a bright, zesty, robust italian dressing.
- Perfect side dish or main meal – serve it as a healthy side dish or main meal that everyone will love.
Ingredients you will need
- Romaine lettuce – fresh, crisp romaine lettuce chopped works best in this recipe and makes the best base for this incredible chopped salad.
- Cherry tomatoes – grape or cherry tomatoes add a nice hint of sweetness as well as color to this salad.
- Red onion – spicy, bold, sliced red onion adds color and crunch to this recipe.
- Cucumber – seedless English cucumbers work best in this recipe since they have fewer seeds but any cucumber will work. It adds some cool, crunchy elements that really help build this salad into a wonderful masterpiece.
- Olives, artichokes, red peppers, banana peppers – to add some italian flare to the salad along with some salty, briny moments that are just divine.
- Chickpeas – I used canned, low-sodium chickpeas that add some nice texture and plant-based protein to this salad, which makes it heartier and more filling.
- Mozzarella cheese – just cubed mozzarella or even feta cheese is great! Of course, just leave it out if you need to keep this recipe dairy-free.
- Basil – the fresh basil adds a nice herby finish to this salad that really gives it that Italian flavor in every bite.
- Robust Italian Dressing – now you can use any Italian dressing you like but this homemade italian dressing comes together in minutes and adds the most amazing final touch to this salad that everyone will go crazy for!
How to make a Chopped Italian salad
- Make the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar or small bowl. Whisk or cover and shake well to fully emulsify into a creamy, robust, herby dressing.
- Then add all salad ingredients to a large salad bowl.
- Pour on the dressing and toss and serve!
The Homemade Robust Italian Dressing
The homemade italian dressing makes this italian chopped salad really stand out as the star of pretty much any meal. Everytime I make this salad my family always goes for it before anything else since it is so colorful, and appetizing. They love that it is loaded with all of the elements of a charcuterie board but in a hearty salad. When you add the dressing it just turns into an incredibly zesty, light, and tasty dish that everyone will remember.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use any greens as the salad base like arugula or spinach.
- Switch up the veggies and add in some chopped broccoli, fresh bell peppers, shredded carrots, or sliced asparagus.
- Add some protein like sliced salami, pepperoni, or chicken. Crispy chickpeas would also be great in this salad!
Ways to serve with this Italian Chopped Salad
This salad goes great served with chicken, salmon, pasta, pizza, or soup!
Recommended tools for making this recipe
- Cutting board and kitchen knife
- Salad bowl
- Mason jar
- Tongs
Storing This Salad
This italian chopped salad is best if eaten right away but you can assemble it undressed and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Then just dress and toss when you are ready to enjoy it.
More Healthy Chopped Salads
- Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad
- Carrot Raisin Salad – classic recipe
- Easy Kale Salad – With Lemon Dresing
- Mediteranean Chickpea Salad
- Simple House Salad
Other Italian recipes
- Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets
- Healthy Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Eggplant Meatballs
- Healthy Zucchini Pizza Boats
- Chicken Pesto Pizza – Gluten Free
Did you try this Italian Chopped Salad recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!
Print
10 Minute Italian Chopped Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Italian Chopped Salad is better than any restaurant version you have ever had! It is loaded with freshly chopped veggies like cucumber, red onion, and tomatoes along with briny olives, peppers, and artichokes. All of that goodness is piled on top of cool, crisp romaine lettuce, tossed in a zesty, robust Italian dressing. It is a gourmet Italian salad you can serve as a side or main dish that is also vegetarian and gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of romaine lettuce – About 4-6 cups sliced into ribbons
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – quartered
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts – I like the marinated ones
- ¾ cup pitted kalamata olives – sliced
- ⅓ cup mild banana peppers – chopped
- ⅓ cup roasted red peppers – chopped
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup cubed mozzarella
- 1 (15oz) can chickpeas – drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh sliced basil leaves
- Robust Italian Dressing
Instructions
- Add all salad ingredients to a large salad bowl. I added the sliced romaine lettuce first and then added the rest of the ingredients on top of the lettuce.
- Make the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar fitted with a lid and shake well to emulsify or add the ingredients to small bowl and whisk well to combine and emulsify until slightly creamy.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat everything in the dressing.
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Notes
- Mix up the greens and use fresh arugula, spinach, or kale.
- Add some more protein like sliced salami, pepperoni, or cooked chicken breast.
- Make it dairy-free and leave out the cubed mozzarella cheese.
- This salad is best if eaten right away or stored undressed in the refrigerator for up to one day before you dress and serve it.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Quick and Easy Salads
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Italian
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Can you make the dressing ahead of time and put it in the fridge?
Hi Brin, yes you can! Enjoy!
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