This Italian Salad features an easy handcrafted vinaigrette made by you for maximum flavor! Make this Italian Salad fast by following these steps – in just minutes you could be serving an Italian restaurant-quality salad in your home!
Why You’ll Like It
Simply delicious – from its mouthwatering dressing, crisp vegetables and crunchy croutons to crumbles of Parmesan for crunchiness it is hard to resist this meal!
Just mix several ingredients in a jar together for the dressing, then pour it onto chopped vegetables – this should take no more than 20-25 minutes!
Customize this dish easily! For instance, for gluten-free options create handcrafted croutons using gluten-free bread; alternatively opt for canned or crispy baked chickpeas instead. Or if feta or provolone cheese are your preference feel free to switch up their components too!
It is perfect for allergy sufferers – the dressing is entirely nut-, dairy- and vegan friendly; for vegans looking for an alternate recipe you could simply leave off the cheese!
Versatility. Serve leftover dressing over cooked pasta to create an easy pasta salad or use this salad as an accompaniment for almost any main course meal you like (add baked chicken breasts for an alternative protein source! or tofu as vegetarian option for variety!) Its versatility means endless variations can be created.
Substances You Will Require What components make up an Italian salad recipe?
DIY Italian dressing involves chopped lettuce, pink onion, pepperoncinis, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese as the essential components; you may then customize with additional toppings like olives, artichoke hearts or fresh basil for additional variety.
Iceberg lettuce is often the base for Italian salads; however, I like using a combination of romaine and radicchio if available at my market. Radicchio adds additional color while providing spicy bite. Feel free to skip adding it if that does not appeal or it cannot be found there!
Making the Largest Italian Salad
- Assemble All Toppings.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to create baked croutons or roast chickpeas if desired for extra crunchiness. It is also acceptable to purchase store-bought versions.
Croutons may be prepared the day ahead; however roasted chickpeas should always be served immediately. When adding chickpeas to my salads, I simply use rinsed and drained canned chickpeas without worrying about baking them; these add texture as well as protein & fiber!
- Accumulate all necessary dressing.
Pour the extra virgin olive oil, purple wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard seed, garlic cloves, dried oregano leaves and spices (garlic cloves are optional), salt and pepper in to a mason jar with lid. Combine by mixing or shaking to incorporate into a uniform paste before setting aside for later.
- Combine. Within an enormous bowl, mix chopped romaine lettuce, radicchio (if using), cherry tomatoes, purple onions, pepperoncinis (slice them into strips for even distribution of flavour), chickpeas and shredded Parmesan cheese together until evenly dispersed throughout.
Sprinkling on generous quantities of homemade Italian vinaigrette and tossing successfully are key steps towards success in creating salad. You may choose to shape and customize it further as needed before tossing with crunchy croutons for instantaneous serving.
Storage & Make Ahead Options Since lettuce will quickly become soggy when left to sit with its dressing for any length of time, I strongly suggest only making what you will consume immediately.
Italian salad dressing will keep for five days in an airtight container stored in your fridge, making this an easy item to include as part of meal prepping routine.
Save space in your fridge by keeping chopped veggies separated into containers; quickly assembling this salad when meal time rolls around is like having your very own salad bar ready and waiting!
Further Salad Recipes to Try
Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing. When looking for something truly original and inventive, look no further! This mouthwatering combination combines sweet and tart flavours, along with creamy peanut ginger dressing – sure to please even picky eaters!
Strawberry Spinach Salad. A perfect summertime salad topped off with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing; make it part of your repertoire when strawberries are at their prime! A must try when strawberries are available!
Last Spring Salad. Featuring seasonal spring ingredients like asparagus and creamy avocado, this dish makes a tasty lunch solution to welcome hotter weather in style! Plus the basil dressing adds extra flair!
Vegan Caesar Salad. This deceptively satisfying salad is prepared without using mayo or eggs but still boasts all of its original taste!
Italian Salad
This Italian Salad features an easy homemade vinaigrette to create an authentic restaurant-quality dish! Enjoy it as the perfect side salad, or pair it up with protein to turn it into an entire meal!
Prep Time for this meal should take 15 minutes; setup Time should only take an additional minute or so.
Full Time: 15 minutes
Substances For Italian Salad1 1 head Romaine lettuce chopped; 1 small head of radicchio chopped (optional); 1/2 purple onion thinly sliced for garnish and added as thin strips 1 pint cherry tomato quartered and cut half way across for 1/2 cup pepperoncini halves umplut 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup croutons or chickpeas for texture for serving along with 1/3 cup additional virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons purple wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard as dressings to complete.
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (1 minced clove of garlic), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 34 of teaspoon very good sea salt are needed to create one teaspoon of flooring black pepper for this dish.
Instructions
To prepare the dressing, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard seed, garlic granules, oregano leaves, salt and black pepper into a mason jar fitted with a lid, stirring or shaking until all components appear evenly mixed and set it aside as you construct your salad.
To create the salad, combine chopped romaine lettuce, chopped radicchio (if using), purple onion, tomatoes, pepperoncinis and Parmesan in an ample bowl with plenty of dressing poured generously on top. Combine evenly by tossing.
Form the salad by layering on additional dressing for aesthetic effect; any extra can be stored away for another salad in your fridge. Add your croutons right before serving so they won’t become soggy (or try swapping in chickpeas as protein-packed alternatives); this way you will ensure optimal style and texture! Serve the dish immediately to get maximum impact from its features and textures.
Leftover vegetables and dressing may be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days, although I wouldn’t advise keeping salad together; that will cause soggy lettuce (and consequently soggy croutons!).
If you try this Italian Salad Recipe, leave me a comment or star rating below to let me know how well it worked for you! I would also appreciate knowing your feedback as to whether or not the flavor combination worked out to your preference!
