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This is a favorite both in restaurants and made at home!
Italian Salad is filled with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, olives, red onions and of course zesty pepperoncinis. We add in a simple homemade Italian vinaigrette for the perfect fresh salad.
This salad is full of flavor and we love it as a fresh side dish next to our favorite Italian-inspired recipes.
When we go to an Italian restaurant, one of the things I look forward to the most is endless bowls of fresh Italian Salad.
Ingredients
Lettuce – I love a combination of lettuce in this recipe, I start with either iceberg lettuce or a large head of romaine lettuce and add in a little bit of radicchio.
Toppings – Keep it simple or add lots of goodies. This recipe uses red onion, Roma or cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, olives, and homemade croutons.
Dressing – I love homemade Italian dressing (or creamy Italian dressing) but any vinaigrette you love will go well with this recipe.
Variations
- Pasta – Turn this into an Italian pasta salad by adding cooked and cooled cheese tortellini or penne.
- Veggies – Add artichoke hearts, red peppers, cucumbers.
- Other Additions – Try salami or white beans if you’d like.
How to Make Italian Salad
- Wash and dry the lettuce and radicchio and tear them into pieces.
- Prepare the rest of the fresh ingredients per the recipe below.
- Prepare the Italian Dressing if making it homemade.
- Toss everything in a large bowl and serve immediately.
If you’re preparing this salad recipe in advance or planning for leftovers, don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to serve the salad!
Italian Salad Dressing
We love homemade Italian dressing but use any kind of vinaigrette including balsamic or dijon vinaigrette.
DRESSING TIP: Oil and vinegar (or vinaigrette) dressings can separate, including dijon or a bit of honey (or even an egg yolk like in Caesar Salad dressing) can help keep the mixture from separating so don’t skip them! Shake in a mason jar before serving as ingredients may settle.
This Italian salad recipe can be topped with salmon or chicken as a full meal.
It is great serving with Italian favorites like chicken parmesan or chicken piccata. Don’t forget to add in a side of focaccia bread (with olive oil for dipping)
More Easy Salads
Easy Italian Salad
This Italian Salad recipe is filled with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, and of course zesty pepperoncini, all mixed in a zesty Italian dressing.
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Wash and dry lettuce and radicchio.
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Add remaining ingredients along with dressing to taste.
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Mix and top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese.
Homemade Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or use half olive oil, half vegetable oil)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon (or 1 very small clove) garlic, optional
Calories: 139 | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 835IU | Vitamin C: 23.7mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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