Italian Chopped Salad
The best classic Italian Chopped Salad, made with fresh, healthy ingredients! Crisp lettuce, salami, chickpeas and more make it unforgettable.
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings (as a side)
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD:
- ½ medium red onion very thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 small bunch kale about 8 ounces, curly or Lacinato kale
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 large head romaine chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 4 ounces Provolone cheese cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
- 4 ounces salami cut into bite-size pieces*
- ½ cup stemmed and thinly sliced pepperoncini peppers for the best taste/texture I like to purchase the peppers whole and slice them myself
- ½ cup thinly sliced kalamata olives
FOR THE DRESSING:
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 2 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the red onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water (this step keeps the onion's flavor but removes some of its harsh aftertaste). Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a separate bowl and cover with hot water to rehydrate. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Peel the kale leaves off of the stems and discard the stems. Chop the leaves into very thin ribbons. You will have about 6 cups. Place in a very large mixing bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Grab the kale by big handfuls, massaging it with your hands until it turns dark green in color, feels softer, and is fragrant. Don't skip this step! It makes the kale tender and delicious.
- To the bowl, add the romaine, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, cheese, salami (if using), pepperoncini, and olives.
- Mix up the dressing: in a large liquid measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients—olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper. Alternatively, you can shake all of the ingredients together in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Drain the red onion and sun-dried tomatoes. Add to the bowl with the romaine mixture.
- If serving the salad all at once, drizzle enough dressing on to lightly coat it, then toss to combine (when in doubt, start with less dressing. It's easy to over dress a salad!). Or, if you are serving the salad over a series of days, toss the salad without the dressing to combine, then dress only the portion you plan to eat right away. Taste and add extra salt or pepper as desired.
Notes
- *You can purchase dry salami (which will be long and cylindrical in shape) or fresh-cut slices of salami from the deli. If it's a thinner cylinder, cut it crosswise into thin coins, then cut the coins into halves or quarters depending upon size. If using larger, deli-style sliced salami, cut it into small strips that are roughly 1/8 x 1/2-inch. The idea of a chopped salad is for all of the ingredients to be roughly the same size, so use your judgment.
- *For a satisfying vegetarian version, omit the salami.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover salad separately from the leftover dressing. Store each in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO PREP INGREDIENTS AHEAD: Chop the onion, sun-dried tomatoes, romaine, cherry tomatoes, Provolone cheese, salami (if using), pepperoncini peppers, and olives up to 1 day in advance. Store each ingredient in a separate airtight storage container in the refrigerator.
- TO PREP SALAD AHEAD: Prepare the salad (minus the dressing) up to 3 days in advance, and refrigerate it in an airtight storage container. Mix the dressing together, and refrigerate it in a separate airtight storage container. Portion out the salad and dressing as desired over the next 3 days for easy meals and sides.
- TO MAKE IN A MASON JAR: I love meal-prepping this salad in large mason jars. I start with the dressing at the bottom, then pile the tomatoes, olives, onions, kale, and other ingredients on top. I finish my jar with a handful of romaine lettuce for crunch and freshness. Mine kept well in the refrigerator for 3 days. You can find more details and salads here in my Mason Jar Salad recipes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 10)Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 12gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 17mgPotassium: 662mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 4350IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 3mg
