Name: Antipasto Chopped Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 heads romaine lettuce (finely chopped*); 10 ounces antipasto meats** ((salami, prosciutto, mortadella, etc), chopped (275 grams)); 1 small red onion (diced); 1 medium green bell pepper (diced (optional)); ⅓ cup sliced roasted red peppers (drained before measuring (optional)); ⅓ cup sliced sundried tomatoes (drained before measuring); ⅔ cup chopped Italian olives; ⅔ cup chopped marinated artichokes (drained before measuring); 1 ½ cups bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) (drained and quartered (or halved)(200g container)); ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (loosely packed(optional)); ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar*); ½ teaspoon dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon honey; ¼ teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; Salt (to taste (a pinch or so))

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You're going to fall head over heels for this Antipasto Chopped Salad! Featuring bold flavor and easy prep, this delicious Italian salad is sure to become an instant favorite.

A salad bowl filled with a variety of toppings, including cheese, artichokes, sundried tomato, and chopped meats.

Antipasto translates to "before the meal" in Italian, and if you're traveling through Italy, at some point you're going to encounter an antipasto platter.

Antipasto is sort of like a charcuterie board, but with less of an emphasis on meat and more on the delicious preserves common in Italian cuisine. Think marinated artichokes, olives, roasted red peppers, and salty cheese.

This Antipasto chopped salad is inspired by traditional Italian antipasto. The salad ingredients feature the bold flavors you would find on an appetizer platter, but served on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce and dressed with a tangy homemade dressing.

Do you want to know the best part? There is no cooking involved! Just chop all of the ingredients into bite-sized pieces, give 'em a toss, and you'll have a satisfying main dish salad (or potluck-sized side salad) in less than 20 minutes.

You Will Need:

Bowls of ingredients for a salad, including red onion, green pepper, mozzarella, etc.

Antipasto meats: A variety of your favorite charcuterie-style meats (think genoa salami, prosciutto, capicola, mortadella, etc). After many test rounds, we determined that an antipasto variety tray purchased from Costco had the best combination.
Lettuce: You will need 2 heads of romaine lettuce (chopped into 1" pieces), or the lettuce of your choice.
Classic antipasto ingredients: marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian olives, and roasted red pepper (optional).
Mini mozzarella balls: Also known as bocconcini, these add the perfect creamy texture and mild flavor, providing contrast to the other stronger flavors. If you prefer, you can use shredded mozzarella cheese instead.
Dressing: You will need olive oil, white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar), dijon mustard, honey, dried oregano, and black pepper.

You will also need:

Red onion
Green pepper (optional)
Fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

How to Make Chopped Antipasto Salad

This antipasto salad recipe is sure to become one of your favorite salads! It's a great way to incorporate fresh vegetables, antipasto classics, and protein into one bowl.

A bowl of lettuce, then topped with antipasto ingredients, then tossed with dressing.

Step one: Finely chop, wash, and spin 2 heads of romaine lettuce. Add the shredded lettuce to a large bowl (you may need to work in batches, as this recipe is quite voluminous at first!).
Step two: Chop all of the salad toppings into bite-sized pieces and place them on top of the lettuce.
- Antipasto meats, bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green pepper, roasted red pepper (if using), red onion, and fresh basil.
Step three: Toss everything together using a pair of tongs.
Step four: Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.
Step five: Prepare the dressing by mixing the ingredients in a small glass jar (or small bowl), then pour it over the salad in a steady stream.
Step six: Toss everything together one last time, and give it a taste before serving. Adjust the ingredients, dressing, etc., according to your preference.

Top tip: I like to toss the salad in a mixing bowl, then transfer it to a large serving bowl just before bringing it to the table. It's much easier that way!

A wooden salad bowl filled with chopped salad, featuring mozzarella balls, chopped meat, etc.

Storage and Meal Prep Tips

This salad actually keeps pretty well in the fridge for 3-4 days. It does lose the crisp texture, but the flavor seems to just get better!
The salad is very voluminous at first, but once the dressing is added and the salad is tossed well, it will reduce in size. I use a large airtight container (casserole-sized) for keeping leftovers in the fridge.
If preparing for meal prep, assemble and dress the salad. Chill for a few hours, then divide into individual portions. Since the salad will shrink down in size, we recommend waiting to pack up portions for lunch or meal prep.

Substitutions

With cherry tomatoes: If you don't like these (or can't find them), you can use grape tomatoes (also known as cherry tomatoes) instead. Just quarter them before adding them to the salad.

Iceberg lettuce: We tested this recipe with a combination of romaine and iceberg, iceberg only, and romaine only. Testers preferred the romaine lettuce, but if you prefer, you can use a combination or swap it out completely for the fresh greens of your choice.

Shredded mozzarella: Testers loved the version made with mini mozzarella balls (AKA bocconcini), but versions made with shredded mozzarella tasted pretty awesome too! Our La Scala salad recipe is very similar and uses shredded mozzarella (we tested it with both – shredded won out!).

Tongs taking a portion of salad from a wooden bowl.

Expert Tips

Chop everything small. The idea of chopped salad is that everything is in small pieces; this way, it's easy to eat and there is a little taste of every ingredient in each bite. To save time, try using a veggie chopper.
Prepare the lettuce first. To slice the romaine into small pieces, remove the outer leaves, then slice it in half lengthwise. Place each half of the lettuce on the cutting board (flat side down). Make vertical cuts all the way back to the root end about 1" apart, then make horizontal cuts to create 1" pieces. Then wash and spin dry.
Use a variety of meats. We've tested this recipe SO MANY times, and the secret to the best flavor is using a wide variety of meats. We used a variety tray from Costco that is often used for charcuterie boards.

Salad in a wooden ball, with a pair of tongs on the side for serving.

More Restaurant-Quality Salads:

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