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Don’t let the word ‘salad’ fool you. Italian chopped salad is a mega mouthful of muscular ingredients (strong-leaved lettuce, olives, tomatoes), packed with protein (chickpeas, salami and cheese), and alive with an uber fresh dressing (lemon, basil and garlic). Take this on-the-go salad to work, the gym, picnics and barbecues. Just don’t forget your fork!
It is salad season, baby! But like this Italian chopped salad recipe, not all leafy green salads are limp lettuce and watery cucumber. If like me, you’re on a protein flex and love a cool salad, try this high-fibre tuna salad or creamy salmon Caesar.
The sun is shining here in the UK and all across my residential corner of London the heady fragrance of smouldering charcoal mingling with sizzling sausage fat can be caught on the air. Homemade burgers, juicy kebabs and if you’re lucky, steaks are being barbecued in back gardens everywhere while the good weather lasts.
I’ve noticed marinated meat and other bbq-related sections in the supermarkets are being laid bare as frantic Brits sweep up corn on the cobs, coleslaw and pre-packed pasta salad.
But don’t panic! If you’re too late to get your hands on the last plastic-packed cous cous and roasted vegetable medley, gather up these fresh ingredients and put together this chopped salad at home for a far superior option in just 15 minutes.
Chopped salad recipe
Three reasons I am all about chopped salads right now:
- They are fuss-free and informal. A chopped salad is not haute cuisine- it’s a belly-filling bowl of goodness. Honest and simple.
- You can eat it with a fork. OK, so most things are eaten with a fork, but what I mean is, you only need a fork. A chopped salad is characterised by its bite-size bits. No knife needed.
- They might not be haute cuisine but they can be beautiful. Mix in as many colours and textures are you can and THAT is a chopped salad.
By chance, mine has come out a riot of red thanks to the radicchio, red bell peppers, salami and cherry tomatoes. And it’s both crunchy and tender.
Chopped salad is customisable, so feel free to take or leave the ingredients you like. But there are some (loose) rules. First, start with a lettucey base. Firm leaves, I’ve used Romaine and chicory, are preferable to lighter leaves which can get weighed down by heftier ingredients.
Next, add your favourite salad vegetables. I’ve gone for standard cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, as well as black olives and shallots. I’ve also thrown in pepperoncini, which is a marinated (read pickly and spicy) green chilli pepper for some kick.
Then add the bulk in the form of protein. I’m on an Italian vibe, so I chose thinly sliced and sliced again salami, baby mozzarella balls and shaved This is an affiliate link.Parmesan. I’ve also included a can of chickpeas as I tend to eat salads as a complete meal.
Lastly, the Italian lemon and basil dressing brings it all together. Powerful fresh basil will compliment the sweet tomato and mozzarella in the classic Caprese Italian trio, while minced garlic and lemon juice are a punchy nod to the peppery salami and Parmesan.
Recipe tips and notes
- Robust leaves like Romaine and chicory are best for a chopped salad recipe like this one. More delicate, flimsy lettuce leaves will be crushed under the weight of the heavier ingredients and go soggy quickly.
- This is a perfect potluck salad recipe. Thanks to its solid ingredients, it’s hearty and won’t wilt for a good few hours. This quantity serves eight.
- Chopped salad means you can mix and match. I’ve run with the Italian theme and incorporated my faves from the deli. But you can make it your own.
- I’ve used pre-sliced salami. The delicatessen will be able to achieve wafer thin slices that couldn’t be done at home.
- Some Italian chopped salad recipes use Provolone cheese, which is semi-soft and buttery. I’ve gone hard with Parmesan, which is sharper and tangier. I used a vegetable peeler to carve elegant flakes straight from the block.
- A bite of pepperoncini will give a briny and fiery surprise. These are the pale pickled peppers of UK kebab fame, fyi.
- I urge you to use fresh ingredients in the lemon basil dressing. It will take the salad up a few notches on the zing-scale and garner all the compliments.
- Of course, you can use dried basil and garlic powder if that’s all that’s available to you. But promise me one time you’ll lean into the fresh summery vibe this salad is giving!
Serving suggestions
High protein chopped salad, like this version with chickpeas, salami and cheese, can be a meal in itself. They pack up perfectly into Tupperware for an office lunch, or transport easily to the park for a picnic.
While a portion of salad and a flatbread is enough for me, a mega-sized focaccia sandwich might suit bigger appetites. Or keep the carbs low with simple grilled chicken.
As I mentioned already, this 8-serving Italian-inspired chopped salad recipe is picnic or potluck perfect. It travels well (just add the dressing on arrival) and can sit out for a few hours without losing integrity. Bang it out at your next BBQ!
Storage and leftovers
There are some pretty pungent ingredients in this Italian green salad: salami, pickled peppers, parmesan. While these bold flavours are tastebud-tantalising fresh out of the salad bowl, the have a habit of permeating (and dominating) their fellow salad items when refrigerated overnight.
This one’s an eat-on-the-day kinda dish.
More recipes to try
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Puttanesca White Bean Salad
- Summer Tomato and Cucumber Salad
- Pasta Salad Recipe with Basil Vinaigrette
Italian Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head romain lettuce, sliced
- 1 small head chicory (raddichio), sliced
- 1 x 400g / 14 oz can of chickpeas, drained
- 3 baby cucumbers, or 1/2 long cucumber
- 200g / 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 125g / 4 oz mozzarella pearls, (baby mozzarella balls)
- 10 slices salami, cut into strips
- 2 pepperoncini , sliced
- 10 – 15 black olives, pitted and cut in half
- 2 tbsp flaked Parmesan cheese
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
For the lemon basil dressing
- 10 leaves fresh basil, or 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 clove garlic, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 lemon, zest only
- 1 lemon , juice only
- 4 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl combine the sliced romain lettuce and chicory. Add the drained canned chickpeas, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, halved mozzarella pearls, haled black olives, salami slices cut into strips, sliced pepperoncini, and thinly sliced shallots, and flaked Parmesan cheese. (You can either grate the Parmesan cheese or use a vegetable peeler to create thin flakes.)
- In a mason jar combine the chopped fresh basil, lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, salt and olive oil. Cover with a lid and shake well till combined. Alternatively, you can make the dressing in a small blender.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt.
Notes
- Lettuce with thin leaves can go soggy too quickly and be crushed under the other ingredients in this salad, so it’s best to use robust varieties like Romaine and chicory.
- The nature of this salad makes it easy to alter the ingredients. I’ve used options with Italian flavours, but you make change this based on what you have available.
- Thin slices of salami will mesh with the other ingredients better. This is difficult to achieve at home without the right equipment, so check with the deli counter at your supermarket.
- Making the dressing using fresh ingredients will mean it is far more flavourful. But it can still be made with dried basil and garlic powder if that’s what you have available.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
