Easy Italian Chopped Salad
When Jody calls me from the grocery store asking ‘what did you put in that salad?’ we know we’ve got a winner. We’ve made a lot of salads in our day, but this one? This might just be the salad of the summer. Crunchy, colourful, packed with flavour, and satisfying enough to be dinner on its own (though is also amazing with grilled sausages, pizza, or just a really good hunk of focaccia).
An Italian Chopped Salad should craveable, addictive in the best way. The kind you eat with a spoon because every bite deserves to make it into your mouth. Sharp vinaigrette, pickled bites, creamy beans, crisp veggies—it’s got that full-spectrum flavour we’re always after. The real game changer is the addition of some of our favourite antipasto ingredients like marinated artichokes and pepperoncini, Unico brand is our favourite!
We love that it’s easy to prep, impossible to mess up, and somehow even better the next day. If you’re looking for a new “house salad,” this might just be it.
Make it your own too! Read on for recipe, substitutions & more and make this Italian Chopped Salad all summer long, or in cooler months when you need a real pick-me-up!
Ingredients
- 1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1/2 Cucumber, seeded & diced
- 1/2 red pepper, seeded & diced
- 1/2 yellow pepper, seeded & diced
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup marinated artichokes, cut up into pieces (Unico brand is fantastic!)
- 1 small can mixed beans (ditto here for Unico brand!)
- 4-5 large pepperoncini peppers, seeded & chopped. This is the real TSN turning point (lol!). By seeding and chopping these little mildly spiced peppers, every bite is just a little spicy and refreshing. These peppers aren't an afterthought, throwing 3-4 on top of the salad for good measure. Cut them up.
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp. mustard powder
- 1 tsp. celery salt (like do not omit this!)
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. each Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese (such as Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano)
- 3/4 cup Olive Oil
Instructions
- Chop With Intention: This isn’t the time to be lazy with your knife work. Chop everything to a similar size, think bean-sized bits. That way, every bite has a little bit of everything.If you want to make a real showpiece of a salad, keep all the components separate and make an art piece of out it all.
- Make the Dressing: We like to make it in a blender: add the vinegar & garlic first, then add in the spices, sugar, salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Blend for 30 seconds then stream in the olive oil until emulsified. Taste. Adjust. It should be quite punchy. Note that this is almost a 1:1 ratio vinegar to oil.
- Serve: Option One: Add all your chopped ingredients to a giant bowl. Pour over the dressing (you’ll need about half of it) and toss until everything is evenly coated and glistening. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes before serving if you can—it only gets better.
- Option Two: Make a showpiece of this Italian Chopped Salad: display all the colours of this salad separately on a large platter, and drizzle over vinaigrette.
Notes
This Italian Chopped Salad is meal-prep friendly, potluck-perfect, and makes lunch feel like a restaurant treat. It’s also vegetarian, full of fibre, and keeps its crunch like a champ.
We’ve served it alongside grilled sausages for dinner parties, packed it into jars for beach lunches, and even tossed in some cooked pasta for a “chopped salad meets pasta salad” hybrid.
Substitutions for Italian Chopped Salad
Don’t have everything? No problem.
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No pepperoncini? Try banana peppers or capers. Or even diced dill pickles!
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No red cabbage? Green cabbage or romaine works in a pinch. Or omit it. Radicchio too, but add in at last minute.
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Add-ins we love: olives, feta, grilled chicken, canned tuna, or crispy prosciutto. Bocconcini would be amazing!
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Vegan version? Skip the parmesan in the vinaigrette or use a vegan hard cheese substitute, or nutritional yeast.
Hot tips for the best Italian Chopped Salad:
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Avoid overdressing. You want a light coating. You’ll have leftover dressing, thank us later!
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Don’t skip the celery salt. Seriously, it adds the Italian deli magical taste.
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Cut small, toss well. This isn’t a salad where the dressing sits on top; it needs to mingle.
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Use a good olive oil. You’ll taste it, so make it count.
Storage Recommendations
This salad holds up surprisingly well!
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Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It gets better as it sits, just toss before serving.
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Meal prep tip: Keep the dressing separate and mix just before eating if you want max crunch.
- Meal prep tip #2: Make a double batch of the dressing! Use it on lettuce salads, pasta salads, or as a chicken marinade!
FAQ for Italian Chopped Salad
Can I make Italian Chopped Salad in advance?
Yes! It’s actually better if it sits for 10–20 minutes before serving. Make the dressing and chopped mix up to a day ahead, combine when ready to serve.
Is this salad healthy?
Absolutely. It’s full of fibre, plant-based protein, and healthy fats from olive oil. Plus, it’s vegetarian and easily made vegan.
Can I use a different vinegar?
You could, but red wine vinegar gives the most authentic flavour here. White wine vinegar or lemon juice in a pinch.
Is this gluten-free?
Yes! Just check your canned goods to ensure there are no added fillers or wheat-based additives.
If you’re a follower, you know we love a good Summer Salad. Get this Broccoli Salad in your life, or our Jody’ Crab Pasta Salad!