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Simple Italian Chopped Salad recipe packed with nutrition and flavor. Easy to make with only 20 minutes of prep time. Serve as a light lunch or as a side dish.
This Italian chopped salad recipe is a delicious and healthy salad that is easy to prepare, packed with flavor, and so filling. It is a refreshing mix of colorful vegetables such as romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, onions, artichoke hearts, and pepperoncini peppers if used.
The chopped salad is then tossed with a simple homemade Italian vinaigrette made with vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey, and Italian herbs such as oregano and basil. Chopped salad is usually topped with crumbled feta cheese (optional) and served with warm crusty bread. Italian chopped salad is a perfect choice for a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner.
Why you will love this recipe
- Nutritious: Italian chopped salad is packed with nutrient-dense vegetables, making it a healthy choice for any meal. The mix of vegetables provides a range of vitamins and minerals, while the olive oil in the dressing provides healthy fats.
- Easy to Make: Italian chopped salad is a quick and easy dish to prepare. With just a few minutes of chopping and mixing, you can have a delicious meal ready to eat.
- Versatile: You can customize this chopped salad to your liking by adding or removing ingredients. You could add some grilled chicken or shrimp for extra protein, or swap out the mozzarella cheese for a different type of cheese like feta cheese. This makes it a great option for any taste preferences or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients you will need
- Head of romaine lettuce, chopped: you may use any other greens of your choice
- Green cabbage: If you don’t digest cabbage well, skip and add more greens
- Cherry tomatoes: use fresh tomatoes. You may use the mixed multi-colored tomatoes
- Red Onions: do not use the white cooking onions
- Chickpeas: we used canned chickpeas. Make your own if you prefer.
- Artichokes: not the raw kinds, but the canned ones that are pickled and ready to eat
- Pitted olives: or any of your favorite olives
- Mozzarella pearls: or you may use crumbles of feta cheese
- For the homemade Italian dressing, you will need lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, garlic cloves, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
How to make this chopped salad recipe
Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake to emulsify. Prepare all your vegetables for the salad and place them in a large salad bowl.
Add the chickpeas, artichokes, mozzarella, and olives. Drizzle with the Italian dressing and toss to combine.
Tips on making the best-chopped salad
Here are three tips for making the best Italian chopped salad:
- Use Fresh Ingredients: The key to a great chopped salad is using fresh, high-quality ingredients. Be sure to select crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, and other vegetables that are at the peak of their freshness.
- Cut Ingredients Uniformly: When chopping the vegetables, make sure to cut them into similar sizes to ensure that you get a good mix of flavors and textures in every bite.
- Dress the Salad Just Before Serving: To avoid a soggy salad, it’s best to dress the salad just before serving. This will keep the vegetables crisp and fresh, and prevent the dressing from making the salad too wet.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, chopped salads can be very healthy. They are generally made with a variety of fresh vegetables, which are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Additionally, salads are often dressed with a vinaigrette made with olive oil, which is a healthy fat that has been shown to have numerous health benefits. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all chopped salads are created equal. Some salads can be high in calories and unhealthy ingredients such as processed meats, cheese, and creamy dressings. Choose your ingredients wisely and be mindful of portion sizes.
Chopping salads can be as simple as using a knife and a chopping board. Some people like to have uniform-looking vegetables and prefer them to be about the same size throughout. The best way to obtain a uniform chopped salad is to use a mezzaluna or a salad chopper.
We recommend washing all vegetables thoroughly whenever you are making any kind of salad. If you buy pre-packed salads that are washed you do not need to rewash them.
more salad recipes to try
- Vegan Green Goddess Pasta Salad
- Vegetarian Cobb Salad
- Antipasto Salad recipe
- Italian Kale Salad Jar
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Zesty Shrimp Avocado Salad
- Avocado Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Summer Corn Salad
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Italian Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 smal head of green cabbage, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 15 oz chickpeas, one can, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz artichokes, one can, drained and chopped
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls, halved
- 1 cup green pitted olives, halved
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 garlic clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake to emulsify.
- Prepare all your vegetables for the salad and place them in a large salad bowl. Add the chickpeas, artichokes, mozzarella, and olives.
- Drizzle with the Italian dressing and toss to combine.
Notes
- use the lettuce of your choice. mixed greens work.
- consider adding grilled chicken
- you may use store-bought dressing
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
