Italian Chopped Salad

Name: Italian Chopped Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil; 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar; 2 Tbsp. minced shallot; 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard; 1 Tbsp. honey; 1/2 tsp. sea salt; freshly cracked black pepper; 2 romaine hearts lettuce shredded (washed and dried well); 2 cups diced cucumbers; 2 cups quartered grape tomatoes; 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed); 8 oz. mini mozzarella pearls; 1 cup olives, roughly chopped; 1 cup thinly sliced salami; 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini; grated Parmesan cheese

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Let’s make a delicious Italian chopped salad! Quite possibly my all-time favorite salad and maybe yours, too, this is our go-to house salad and the side to so many dinners. This is the perfect chopped salad – crunchy, well-balanced, and tossed in a flavorful homemade red wine vinaigrette. Each bite is packed with bold Italian flavors.

If you’ve ever tried making an Italian chopped salad at home and ended up with a watery, bland, or unevenly chopped mess, you’re not alone! While this classic salad seems simple, there are a few tips to ensure that it turns out perfectly for you. I’ll share easy tips so every bite is packed with the bold Italian flavors you crave.

Table of Contents

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

What You’ll Love About Italian Chopped Salad

Packed with bold Italian flavors
Perfectly balanced textures – both creamy and crunchy!
Easy to meal prep or serve DIY family-style
Made with simple ingredients
Can be prepped ahead

Ingredients

Lettuce – We really want something crunchy here so I typically use romaine hearts or iceberg lettuce. You could also use a mix of both if you prefer. Or add in thinly sliced darker greens like lacinato kale or raddichio for some extra color and flavor.
Cucumbers – Use your favorite type of cucumber. I typically use English or Persian cucumbers, which have a thinner skin and fewer seeds. If you use a traditional cucumber, peel and remove seeds.
Tomatoes – Use whatever tomatoes will be best in the season you’re in. Grape or cherry tomatoes work really well. In the summer, you could use a Roma tomato, but remove any excess seeds so it doesn’t make your salad watery.
Garbanzo beans – Chickpeas are a must in this classic Italian chopped salad. Drain, rinse, and dry well.
Mozzarella cheese – Fresh mozzarella is recommended for best flavor. You can use the mini pearls (Bocconcini) or regular-sized pearls cut in half if desired.
Olives – Use your preferred type of olive. Black olives, kalamata olives, or an Italian blend work well. I recommend buying pitted for the easiest eating. Castelvetrano olives are my personal favorite!
Salami – Use your favorite type of salami – low sodium, spicy, or anything in between!
Pepperoncini -This gives the salad a tangy, mildly spicy, and a tad sweet flavor to the salad. Thinly slice your own or buy them sliced already.
Parmesan cheese – Use grated Parmesan. You can grate your own or buy high-quality grated Parmesan cheese.
Red wine vinaigrette – Olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallot, dijon, honey, sea salt, black pepper

Emily’s Tip

Blending the dressing here isn’t mandatory, and isn’t something I do every time, but it really does make the dressing special. Blending ensures that the oil and vinegar are adequately emulsified into a smooth and stable dressing that won’t separate like mixed vinaigrettes. It’s a simple step that will elevate your salads.

How to Make a Chopped Italian Salad

This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

Make salad dressing. Using a blender or immersion blender cup, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth.

Assemble salad. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, mozzarella, olives, salami, and pepperoncini to a large salad bowl. Add lettuce and drizzle with some of the dressing. Toss to combine.
Finish salad. Drizzle with more dressing if desired and top with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

FAQs

Can I make this without dairy?

Yes! You can easily omit the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Feel free to leave out completely (there are still lots of flavors going on) or use your favorite dairy-free cheese alternatives.

Can I use store-bought dressing?

You can, but the homemade dressing here really makes the flavors pop! But if you can’t make it happen, use a high-quality Italian dressing, vinaigrette, or a vinaigrette-style Caesar.

Tips for Perfect Chopped Salad

I want this easy Italian chopped salad to turn out perfectly for you each and every time!

Dry your Veggies – This is the biggest culprit of soggy salads! Be sure to dry veggies the best you can. Gently pat with a paper towel before adding them to salad.
Dry your Greens – This one is a tad annoying (IMO), but so so necessary. Ideally, you’ll wash and dry your salad greens with a salad spinner to ensure you get as much water off the salad greens as possible. This will help keep your lettuce crunchy as well as helping the dressing to adhere to the lettuce for max flavor in each bite.
Perfect your Dressing – Blend your dressing and adjust seasonings as needed. Be sure to properly salt your dressing. If it tastes a little bland, add a pinch of salt or preferably flaky salt.
Chop Evenly – Aim for the size of a garbanzo bean. A chopper will help do this quickly and evenly.
Let it Rest – After you add dressing, give the salad a few minutes to come together before serving. A few minutes is enough, we don’t want the lettuce to get wilty!
Serve it Family Style – One of my biggest tips for getting kids to love (yes, love!) salad is to serve it family style. It’s so much more accessible as often times there is one ingredient that each child doesn’t like. Giving them the agency to make their own means they can make it just to their liking. And slowly…they might just start adding more and more! Serve it like a salad bar below and let everyone make their own.

Storage

Store salad components in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

How to prep ahead

Make dressing 3-4 days in advance. If storing in the refrigerator, let come to room temperature before serving.
Prep ahead for meal prep and layer heavier ingredients (cucumber, salami, beans, cheese, etc.) on the bottom. Top with lettuce and store in the refrigerator for a day or two.

What to Serve with Italian Salad

This salad could be a main meal with a few additions or serve it on the side to any pasta, pizza, or Italian dish.

Add protein – Add grilled or cooked shrimp, chicken, or your favorite protein.
Soup and salad – Add a bowl of minestrone and a side of garlic bread
Pasta – Try cacio e pepe, chicken parm pasta, or classic spaghetti with meat sauce
Pasta salad – Add cooked rotini pasta for an Italian pasta salad

More Salad Recipes

If you like this Italian chopped salad recipe, you might also like some of these other salad recipes:

House salad in a white bowl with parmesan

Want More?

Read more about my nutrition philosophy here and follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.