Vegetarian Chopped Antipasto Salad
A refreshing and vibrant salad packed with assorted vegetables, cheeses, and a tangy vinaigrette.
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- large serving bowl
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil, extra virgin (80 ml)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar (60 ml)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon stone-ground Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey (7 g)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (2 g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3 g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (1 g)
- romaine lettuce 1 medium head, roughly chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- ½ small head radicchio roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes halved (about 1 cup)
- ½ medium English cucumber diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup kalamata olives pitted and chopped
- 1 ¼ ounces parmesan cheese freshly grated (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 ounces provolone cheese sliced or diced
- 5 to 6 pepperoncini stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
- ¼ cup red onions diced small
Instructions
- Start by whisking together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. You will notice a lovely aroma as the flavors meld, and the dressing should have a nice, emulsified look. Be careful not to whisk too vigorously; you do not want it splattering everywhere!
- Roughly chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces. It should feel crisp and fresh as you handle it, and make sure it is not too finely chopped to maintain that satisfying crunch. If it is chopped too small, it can get soggy once dressed.
- In a large bowl, toss in the roughly chopped romaine, chickpeas, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and red onions. Give everything a gentle stir, allowing the colorful veggies to showcase their freshness.
- Add the freshly grated parmesan and provolone cheese over the mixed salad. You want to see a bit of cheese on every bite, which makes it satisfying. If you are using pre-packaged cheese, check for any added gluten since that can sneak in.
- Pour some of the vinaigrette over the salad right before you are ready to dig in, saving any extra for later. The salad should glisten, not drown in dressing. If you see excess liquid at the bottom, it might mean too much dressing was added; that can lead to a soggy salad.
- Give the salad one last gentle toss to mingle everything together. Once plated, you may want to garnish it with a sprinkle of extra cheese or some fresh herbs for an inviting touch.
Notes
This salad can be prepared ahead of time and stored covered in the refrigerator. Wait until you are ready to serve before adding the vinaigrette.
Make your vinaigrette ahead of time for convenience. Adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or vinaigrette as needed for balance. For a heartier salad suitable as a meal, consider adding more protein like chickpeas or sliced almonds. If olives are too salty for some guests, switch to milder olives or reduce the quantity of kalamata olives.