This delicious Italian Salad with homemade salad dressing is an excellent way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. With fresh ingredients and easy steps, this salad will surely be a hit with the whole family.
A Delicious and Simple Italian Salad Recipe
This is one of our favorite salads. It is full of flavor from fresh tomatoes, homemade croutons, salami, mozzarella pearls, fresh Italian dressing, and more. Enjoy this hearty and healthy salad as a stand-alone meal, or serve it with tortilla pizza, vegetable lasagna, zucchini boats, or one of my best soup recipes.
Italian Salad Ingredients
You need red wine vinegar, garlic, granulated sugar, dried oregano, dried basil, parsley, salt, black pepper, and olive oil for the dressing.
For the salad, you need romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, black olives, pepperoncini, croutons, mozzarella pearls, Italian salami, and artichoke hearts.
How to Make Italian Salad
Whisk together red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Combine romaine, tomatoes, red onions, pepperoncini, croutons, mozzarella, salami, and artichoke hearts in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss and serve promptly.
Recipe Tips
- Make the dressing in advance and store it in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 weeks. The olive oil will solidify in the fridge. Just remove it from the fridge for 45 minutes before tossing the salad.
- Substitute a portion of the romaine for mixed spring greens or iceberg lettuce.
- If you prefer purchase sliced pepperoncini for a bit of pepper in each bite.
- Use Campari tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes.
- If you have trouble finding mozzarella pearls, cube a piece of fresh mozzarella.
- For even more flavor, make homemade croutons.
What to Serve with Italian Salad
Try These Next
Italian Chopped Salad Recipe
This light-yet-filling chopped Italian salad is packed with all the best things about Spring: fresh veggies, mozzarella cheese, crispy croutons, and a fresh homemade Italian dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: salad
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Italian Dressing
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Italian Salad
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 cups sliced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup very thinly sliced red onions
- 1 cup whole pepperoncini
- 1 cup Italian croutons
- 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls
- 1/2 cup black olives
- 1/4 lb Italian salami sliced
- 1 jar (7.5 ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts drained
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
- In a large bowl, combine romaine, tomatoes, red onions, pepperoncini, croutons, mozzarella pearls, black olives, salami, and artichoke hearts. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; toss and serve promptly.
Notes
- Make the dressing in advance and store it in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 weeks. The olive oil will solidify in the fridge. Just remove it from the fridge for 45 minutes before tossing the salad.
- Substitute a portion of the romaine for mixed spring greens or iceberg lettuce.
- If you prefer purchase sliced pepperoncini for a bit of pepper in each bite.
- Use Campari tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes.
- If you have trouble finding mozzarella pearls, cube a piece of fresh mozzarella.
- For even more flavor, make your own homemade croutons.
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Archie K
I am a huge fan of salads. And this Italian salad is fabulous. I love the recipe. So simple and easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Archie.
Katie Simms
This Italian salad was so delicious and healthy! I love how easy it was to make even with homemade dressing. It is the time of year to start adding more fresh vegetable and salads. Thanks for the great recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Katie!
Melanie Eastham
Oh wow, now this is my kind of salad. Salad is one of my favorite dishes and I love the variety of options. This has such a lovely range of tasty ingredients it’s guaranteed to be one I would really enjoy. I can never find those mozzarella pearls in the stores. I have to get bigger chunks and cut them up into my salads. The green pepperoncini would be a lovely addition and something different.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Melanie! Enjoy!
Victoria P
This salad is indeed a thing of beauty and excellent taste. I have very high standards for salads, and this one is a winner. Thank youy, Beth!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Victoria!
Tammy
This salad looks absolutely delish! What a fabulous and mouthwatering meal…I love everything salads like this 😀
Beth Pierce
I know! It is foolproof!
Suzanna
This Italian salad was absolutely mouthwatering! Packed with fresh ingredients like tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and salami, it was a huge hit! I love that it can stand alone as a hearty and healthy dish or complement other Italian favorites like tortilla pizza or vegetable lasagna. Definitely adding this to my digital recipe file.
Adeline
This was sooo good! I’m a sucker for a chopped salad so I knew I’d love this! So delicious!
Allyson Boldt
This was absolutely perfect – thank you! Best Italian salad I have had in a very long time.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Allison.
Lizza
Nutritious, beautiful, and tasty. I served it with your sundried tomato pasta and everyone loved the meal. Thanks for all the great recipes. My family really enjoys them.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Lizza!
Ramona
Dishes like this get me excited for the Spring and Summer months, roll them on! We need to eat more salads and fresh veggies like this, looks so colourful
Sammy Westold
This is a delicious and gorgeous salad. I love the dressing. I could eat this twice a week for the rest of my life! Actually I think I will.
Beth Pierce
I agree, Sammy!
Jennifer H
My eldest is really into “fun salads” at the moment and this was perfect. She chopped all the vegetables and mixed the dressing. It was so so good! She loved it and so did I.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jennifer! I am glad that you and your daughter liked it!
Yeah Lifestyle
This Italian salad is so good! It is crisp and crunchy and bursting with flavor. It makes the perfect side dish to go with any meal but we enjoyed it with your grilled chiken recipe. Thank goodness for warmer weather!
Catherine Helyer
I made your Italian Salad for a potluck last week, and I’ve been asked forr the recipe about a dozen times since then!
Beth Pierce
That is awesome! Thank you, Catherine!
Melissa Pace
Delicious – all my favorites in one salad! Can’t wait to make it again!
April W
I could eat this salad every day. It’s full of delicious goodies and that vinaigrette is to die for.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, April!
Ambra
This Italian salad is amazing! As an Italian, it’s a definite 5-star dish. Fresh ingredients, homemade dressing, and delicious flavors. Yum! 🥗🇮🇹
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Ambra! So glad that you liked it!
Kirsty Moore
This Italian Salad was wonderfully fresh and flavorful! It was the perfect, light yet satisfying side dish that paired beautifully with our meal! Definitely a keeper!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Kirsty!
Alessandra
This is my go to salad for lunch! I love all the flavor and how refreshing it is!
Beth Pierce
I agree, Alessandra! And it is so nutritious!
Gigi Monahan
I love a good Italian salad. So many awesome flavors – this definitely made having salad so much more fun.
Nancy Salb
This is a great recipe! I will make it again. Definitely a keeper! I did just use bottled dressing to save time, but I will make the homemade dressing next time! I can’t wait to make it again. As a side salad we had plenty for 5 people. Thank you for this recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Nancy! So happy that you liked it!
Kathleen F Sullivan
This sounds DELICIOUS!!! I will be making it…..what are Italian Croutons?? are they much different than regular croutons??
Beth Pierce
Just croutons with lots of Italian spices.
Jenny
I’m seeing the Italian salad recipe- sounds great, but I’m not seeing the “chopped” part. Isn’t that what chopped salad means?- you make the tossed salad or whatever, then put it in the chopping bowl and chop it with the chopper thing to make it in very small, easily-fork able pieces?
Beth Pierce
Yes chopped salads are just that. Everything is chopped and tossed together instead of layered.
Karen
I madE the recipe as directed. It claimed Serves 6; I only served 4. It was barely enough for 4 I served iit as a summer entree with bread after an appetizer. We are all older ladies. I think realistically for a summer entree, it would serve 3. However, it was great. Tasting. I did add garbanzo beans and some olives
Beth Pierce
Glad that you liked the salad! Noted on the servings. Good thing to let the readers know about the serving sizes!
Anita
I LOVED this salad. Very fresh and crisp, and low carb if you are following a LCHF way or eating, keto friendly. I will admit that I omitted the olives as I am not a fanAbsolutely delicious and something just slightly different than a normal, every day salad.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! Glad that you enjoyed this!
Chichi
This salad tastes amazing. I love the homemade Italian dressing. So so good.
Genevieve
Well, this recipe looks amazing! Pinning for later, thank you!
Chris
This is 100% salad goals! Can’t wait to give the recipe a go this weekend 🙂
Michelle Miller
Such a tasteful salad you got there! Love the Italian touch and the beautiful whole foods in it!
Beth Neels
I just made your salad with the the dressing. It was a perfect light meal for a summer night when I didn’t want to cook! Thanks for the inspiration!