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True Italian salad
Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, olives, red onions, and, of course, zesty pepperoncinis make up the Italian Salad. For the ideal fresh salad, we add a simple homemade Italian vinaigrette.
We love this salad as a light side dish with our favorite Italian-inspired recipes. It has a lot of flavor.
Big Italian salad
• Why you should try this recipe:
This simple Italian salad is great for weeknight dinners, but it's also great for potlucks and dinner parties because it's so good.
• • Simple to make. Despite its simplicity, this salad recipe is adored by all. This popular Italian salad proves that sometimes simple is best. It's flawless without a hitch!
• The ideal Italian side dish Our favorite Italian-inspired dishes, such as spaghetti and meatballs and this simple baked chicken parmesan, go well with this salad. Additionally, I cannot bake without it.
Ingredients Required:
This Italian salad can be made with any of your favorite ingredients, just like most salad recipes. Create your own version of this recipe by getting creative! My family's favorite ingredients are as follows:
• The Greens Typically, I use chopped Romaine lettuce, but mixed spring greens from a bag also work well. Use whatever is in your refrigerator!
• • Onion red The salad gets a boost of flavor and color from the sliced red onion. You can leave out the onion if you don't like it.
• Tomatillos Tomatoes are an essential component of any Italian salad! Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are my favorites. Feel free to use large tomatoes that you've chopped up during tomato season if your garden is producing a lot of them.
• Olives in black. Although black olives are my favorite, you can totally use another type of olive instead.
• The pepperoncini. These spicy pepperoncini peppers are the perfect addition to this dish! But don't worry if you don't like them or don't have them on hand.
• Cheese with Parmesan Use GOOD Parmesan cheese instead of the stuff in the green can, which is highly recommended. Freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese can be used. Also, feta, goat, or shredded mozzarella cheese would be delicious if you want to mix things up with the cheese.
• Crustaceans The croutons in this salad are my kids' favorite part. They're not wrong, right?! I love this homemade crouton recipe if you want to make your own croutons!
• Italian vinaigrette made at home: The salad's focal point! Olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper make a simple vinaigrette. This vinaigrette is so delicious that we use it on all kinds of salads!
Method
to make this recipe: Toss together an Italian salad while your main dish is cooking. It can also be planned ahead of time. Place all of the ingredients, with the exception of the croutons and tomatoes, in a large salad bowl to prepare ahead. Wrap loose plastic wrap around a slightly damp paper towel to cover it. For up to 24 hours, refrigerate.
Pro tip: If you are preparing this ahead of time, cutting the lettuce leaves with a knife rather than tearing them stops the greens from wilting or bruising as quickly.
TO CREATE:
• Wash, dry, and chop the vegetables and lettuce.
• Slice and chop the vegetables with the remaining ingredients.
• Prepare the Italian dressing.
• Combine everything in a big bowl and serve.
Simply combine oil, red wine vinegar, and seasonings to make this Italian salad dressing. Vinaigrette dressings can separate the oil and vinegar, so adding a teaspoon of Dijon to prevent this from happening is essential. Additionally, you should shake it before each use. I like to make mine quickly and store it in a lidded mason jar.
EXPERT TIPS
Although putting this together is a breeze, here are some suggestions for the ideal Italian chopped salad!
• My family absolutely adores this tossed in my simple Italian vinaigrette dressing, but you can use any dressing you like, from homemade ranch dressing to blue cheese dressing.
• Sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, banana peppers, bell peppers, prosciutto, salami, kalamata olives, basil, parsley, and/or pine nuts are additional Italian-style additions to your salad.
• This is a great side dish, but serve it as a main dish to make it even better! It is often served with my favorite grilled chicken on top. It goes well with my foolproof pan-fried salmon as well. Add chickpeas, white beans, or even kidney beans to keep it vegetarian.
• To make the best vinaigrette, you must use high-quality olive oil. My favorite olive oil is this one, and I also really like this olive oil that is cheaper.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS:
What kind of salads do Italians eat?
Surprisingly, this type of traditional Italian salad is not very common in Italy. Insalata di finocchi e arance is a well-liked Sicilian recipe. It typically consists of orange slices, thinly sliced fennel, onions, black olives, olive oil, salt, and mint, although there are numerous variations. Insalata di tonno e fagioli, a dish made with tuna, cannellini beans, olive oil, salt, and pepper, is another popular choice.
Is Italian salad good for you?
Fresh vegetables abound in this Italian salad recipe, and the vinaigrette is straightforward and made with healthy olive oil. With dressing, a large serving contains 275 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates, and 8 grams of protein. To save calories and fat, you can use less dressing. Using a dairy-free parmesan cheese or omitting it makes this recipe vegan and naturally gluten-free, depending on the croutons.
• To avoid a soggy salad, wait until just before serving to add the vinaigrette
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| Big Italian salad |
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