Italian Chopped Salad

Name: Italian Chopped Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 large head romaine lettuce (chopped ); small head radicchio (chopped); 4 ounces soppressata (cut into strips); 6 ounces provolone cheese (cut into small chunks); 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved); 3/4 cup cannellini beans (drained and rinsed); 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives (pitted and cut in half); 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped); 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 small garlic clove (finely grated); 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

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This Italian Chopped Salad is a tasty spin on the classic sandwich, full of flavor, and comes together in just 20 minutes for a bold, vibrant dish perfect for lunch or entertaining.

Salads can get a bad rap, but a chopped salad? That’s a different (and very delicious!) story. There’s something about them that just tastes different – they’re easy to make and fun to eat. In this Italian Chopped Salad, everything is finely chopped so you get a little bit of everything…in every bite. And this salad is light but packed with big flavor, so it’s no wonder it’s requested, regularly.

Tossing Italian chopped salad with romaine lettuce, radicchio, soppressata, provolone cheese, cannellini beans, olives, and cherry tomatoes in a large serving bowl.

This Italian Chopped Salad hits all the right flavor and texture notes – it’s loaded with crisp lettuce, savory meat, creamy cheese, and a zesty red wine vinaigrette. We love that it’s easily customizable too, and the dressing can be made in advance, making it ideal for meal prep. When all is said and chopped, it’s the perfect hearty lunch, dinner side, or a crowd-pleasing potluck dish!

If you like this quick and easy recipe, try these other flavorful ideas. We love these refreshing Melon Prosciutto Skewers and these Chicken Parm Sliders for a crowd.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Big Italian deli flavors in salad form: This salad has everything that a classic Italian sandwich does. From savory deli meats, crunchy fresh vegetables and a tangy oil and vinegar dressing, this salad is everything you crave from the traditional Italian sandwich, by the forkful.
Ready in 20 minutes: With minimal prep and a simple dressing, this salad can be ready and served in no time.
Perfect balance of creamy, salty, and tangy: This salad is the perfect flavor and texture combination. With thinly sliced deli meats, salt, and tangy vinagrette, this salad is perfectly balanced.
Easily customizable: Just like building a sandwich, you can pick and choose what you’d like and customize this salad. Add in any deli meats you love, your favorite cheese, or subsitute any veggies. Enjoy it a different way, every time.
Great for entertaining: A big crunchy salad full of delicious, familiar flavors is ideal to serve to a crowd.

Ingredients

For The Salad:

Romaine Lettuce: Crunchy and crisp, the ideal green for this salad.
Radicchio: Peppery and colorful.
Soppressata: A spicy cured meat, and signature to a good Italian sandwich.
Provolone: Sharp and creamy, another essential Italian sandwich ingredient.
Cherry Tomatoes: A fresh burst of flavor and color.
Cannellini beans: For added texture and protein.
Castelvetrano Olives: Buttery and mild, with a subtle savory flavor that balances the richness of the meat and cheese.
Parsley: Fresh and citrusy.

Ingredients for Italian chopped salad, including romaine lettuce, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, soppressata, provolone cheese, cannellini beans, Castelvetrano olives, and fresh parsley arranged on a wooden board.

For The Dressing:

Red Wine Vinegar: Tangy and acidic, the perfect flavor pairing to cut through the richness of the meat and cheese.
Olive Oil: Use a good quality, fruity extra virgin olive oil as the base for the dressing.
Dijon Mustard: Sharp in flavor to add a spicy heat.
Garlic: One grated clove adds a bold, savory flavor to the dressing.
Sugar: For a touch of sweetness.
Oregano: An essential seasoning and ingredient for an Italian sandwich.
Salt & Pepper: Always generously season the dressing, it’s your opportunity to season the salad.

How To Make Italian Chopped Salad

1. In a small jar, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, sugar, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Shake well until fully emulsified. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine and sliced radicchio.

3. Add the soppressata, provolone, cherry tomatoes, cannellini beans, olives, and parsley to the bowl.

Adding homemade red wine vinaigrette to Italian chopped salad with provolone, soppressata, tomatoes, olives, and cannellini beans.

Bite-sized chopped ingredients for Italian chopped salad with romaine, radicchio, soppressata, provolone cheese, tomatoes, cannellini beans, olives, and parsley.

4. Drizzle with about half of the dressing and toss gently to combine. Add more dressing as needed, tossing until lightly coated.

5. Taste and adjust with additional salt or freshly ground black pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

Chop evenly for best texture: A chopped salad must be chopped well, it’s in the name, after all. Chop the ingredients so everything’s similar in size and chopped throughout for the best crunch and moutfeel.
Dress just before serving: There’s almost nothing worse than a soggy, wilted salad. Wait to dress this one until right before you’re ready to eat so the ingredients stay crunchy. And bonus tip: add a little dressing at first, then add more as needed. You can always serve extra on the side.
Use high-quality olive oil: As one of the main flavoring ingredients, using a good, high quality, fruity extra virgin olive oil matters. Use your favorite brand.
Let flavors sit briefly before serving: Once the salad is built and assembled, let it sit to allow the flavors to meld together – it’s worth the few extra minutes before serving.

What To Serve with Italian Chopped Salad

This salad has all of the flavor and texture components you’re looking for in a hearty salad, but if you’re looking to bulk it up and turn it into more of a meal, here are a few of our favorites to serve it with:

Garlic bread or focaccia: Give this salad even more of that classic sandwich vibe with a soft, crunchy and flavorful bread.
Grilled chicken or shrimp: Simply seasoned, for extra protein.
Pasta dishes: To make the salad more of a hearty meal.
Minestrone or tomato basil soup: Soup and salad is a classic combination and perfect for lunch or a quick dinner.

Storage

This Italian Chopped Salad is best eaten fresh for the best flavor and texture. We don’t recommend storing dressed salad leftovers, as the greens will wilt and become soggy.

If you have leftover dressing or salad ingredients, store the components separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Assemble and dress just before serving.

You can prep the salad ingredients ahead of time, as well as the dressing, and store separately in airtight containers, or in a serving bowl covered tightly, until you’re ready to eat.

Variations

Add chickpeas or white beans: To bulk up the flavor and protein, add either of these in. Canned work great, simply drained and rinsed, then patted dry. They’re a lovely creamy addition.
Add artichoke hearts: To give the salad even more of the classic antipasto flavor profile, use marinated artichoked hearts. Unmarinated would work just as well, too.
Add crushed red pepper: if you’re up for a little kick, add a dash or two of crushed red pepper to give the salad some spice.
Add croutons: Really turn this salad into its’ Italian sandwich counterpart by adding in crunchy, butter croutons. These act as the “bread” of this sandwich turned salad.
Turn into pasta salad: Another great (not to mention delicious) way to bulk up this salad and reinvent the classic flavors, mix in cooked and cooled pasta. Any short cut, tube or spiral pasta would be perfect.
Use crunchy lettuce: Just like the sandwich version, cool, crisp and crunchy lettuce adds a lot to the overall texture. For the salad base, use Romaine for a classic crunch. Iceberg works well, too.
Try feta for a briny twist: While not traditional, try adding this Greek cheese for a tangy, creamy twist. Mix in as many crumbles as you’d like.
Make a vegetarian version: You can skip all of the meats entirely and make an all-veggie, meat-free salad simply by adding chickpeas or beans.
Add mayo or Greek yogurt for a creamy dressing variation: Oil and vinegar are the classic accoutrement on an Italian sandwich, but beecause this is the salad version, anything goes! Mix in a spoonful of mayonnaise or full-fat Greek yogurt for a rick and creamy dressing.

Italian chopped salad in a bowl with romaine lettuce, radicchio, provolone cheese, soppressata, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, and fresh parsley before adding dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best lettuce to use?

Romaine is our preferred green for the crisp, crunchy texture and vibrant color. Iceberg would also work as a refreshing runner-up.

Can I make this salad vegetarian?

Absolutely. This salad is easily adapted and customizable. You can skip the deli meat all together and simple add in canned chickpeas and white beans for a hearty, meat-free version.

How can I prevent a soggy salad?

Make sure all of the ingredients are patted dry to remove any excess moisutre before adding to the salad. Also, don’t dress the salad until right before serving.

Is this salad healthy?

This Italian chopped salad is packed with nutrients and hearty ingredients, including fresh lettuce and crunchy vegetables. It’s a great low-carb, high protein recipe.

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