This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Simple Italian Chopped Salad recipe packed that is so good and flavorful. Easy to make with only 20 minutes of prep time. Serve as a light lunch or as a side dish.
You will love my Greek Orzo Pasta Salad and my Chickpea Tuna Salad.
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
- 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.
Ingredients you will need
Below is a list and a visual of the ingredients you will need to make this salad. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Head of romaine lettuce: 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
- Red Onions: do not use the white cooking onions
- Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas.
- Artichokes: Canned
- 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
Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake to emulsify. Next, prepare all your vegetables for the salad and place them in a large salad bowl.
Add the chickpeas, artichokes, mozzarella, and olives. Finally, drizzle with the Italian dressing and toss to combine.
Tips from my kitchen
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. Also, this will keep the vegetables crisp and fresh, and prevent the dressing from making the salad too wet.
Frequently asked questions
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.
I 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.
Yes. Any greens of your choice like kale or spinach will work.
More salad recipes
- 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
Italian Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 small head of green cabbage, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 15 ounces chickpeas, one can, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces artichokes, one can, drained and chopped
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls, halved
- 1 cup green pitted olives, halved
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons 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. (2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 garlic clove garlic, 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, and Kosher salt and pepper)
- Prepare all your vegetables for the salad and place them in a large salad bowl. (1 large head of romaine lettuce, 1/2 small head of green cabbage, 1 1/2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes, and 1 medium red onion)) Add the 15 ounces chickpeas, 15 ounces artichokes, 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls, and 1 cup green pitted 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.
