A great salad deserves a great salad dressing, and this Italian Chopped Salad understands the mission. Don’t be surprised if you end up putting this salad dressing on everything in sight.
Toasting the oregano is a prime example of everyday alchemy: transforming a humble ingredient like dried oregano into the flavor equivalent of solid gold. The dry heat activates the flavor compounds in the oregano and brings this spice back to life.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No red onion? Yellow or white onion works fine. If you’re not a huge onion fan— you can substitute with shallots, they are generally milder.
- No sherry vinegar? Red wine vinegar works well too. Sherry vinegar is a little higher quality, that’s why I always recommend it.
- No romaine lettuce? Any crisp, mild green would work. Little gem, mixed greens or even arugula would make great substitutes.
- No salami? A few chopped kalamata olives would give that same salty, briny layer of flavor to the salad.
- No mozzarella balls? Go luxe with burrata, or keep it classic with provolone or fontina. If you’re dairy free—an avocado can give you that rich creaminess you’re craving.
- No cherry tomatoes? Give sun-dried tomatoes a try.
- No cucumbers? Try thinly shaved zucchini or summer squash.
- No red peppers? Sugar snap peas would add a sweet, crunchy bite. Blanch them in salted boiling water for 1 minute then shock them in ice water.
- No artichokes? Hearts of palm are a nice, mild flavor substitute.
- No lupini beans? Chickpeas, cannellini beans or northern beans are all delicious options.
- No pepperoncini? Giardiniera or mild banana peppers have a nice, pleasant heat.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- Pickling onions: There are 4 components needed for quick pickled onions:
- 1: the onions—should be sliced as thin as possible to speed up the process.
- 2: salt—this is usually what people need more of. It takes a decent amount to break down the cell walls of the vegetable. I recommend a teaspoon per cup of sliced onions.
- 3: acid—can be in the form of vinegar or citrus juice. You need enough acid to coat your onions. We’ll use this acid for the vinaigrette, so it won’t be wasted.
- 4: time—everything needs to marinate for at least 10 minutes. This is a great do ahead task, as pickled onions last for up to a week in the fridge.
- Toasting oregano: Start with a dry skillet on medium low heat and add the oregano. Stir every minute or so, until the oregano becomes fragrant.
- Washing lettuce: if you want your lettuce to stay as crisp as possible, it’s important to wash it correctly. Fill a large bowl with cold water first. Cut the lettuce and submerge it in the cold water. The pressure from the tap can damage the leaves, that’s why we fill the bowl up before adding the lettuce. Agitate the lettuce to wash off the debris. Lift the lettuce out of the water, and use a salad spinner or drain momentarily in a colander and then let it air dry on a towel for 20 minutes to dry completely. Never compact or crush the leaves.
- Lupini beans are a new favorite legume of mine. They are very difficult to cook and require several days of soaking, so I recommend buying them already prepared. I recommend these.
Serving Suggestions
- Soup & Salad Combo: Serve it with a creamy Tomato Bisque for an easy weekday meal.
- Meal Prep Supper: Add Zucchini Millet Fritters for a fabulous weekend meal.
- Make it a Feast:
- 1st Course: Tomato & Peach Caprese
- 2nd Course: Almond Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Italian Chopped Salad
- 3rd Course: Chocolate Tart
Storage and Shelf Life
Make Ahead: The individual salad components can be prepped ahead of time and held in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The dressing can also be made ahead of time and held in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Refrigerate: Once dressed, the salad will not hold in the refrigerator.
Freezer: not recommended
Final Thoughts
I must admit—I am obsessed with salads. They are so quick and easy to make, I’d classify them as the absolute easiest of lifts at meal time. Not to mention they make me feel good when I eat them.
When you load a salad up with nourishing, satisfying ingredients and lots of complimentary textures and flavors, they can keep you full and satiated all day long. Give this Italian Chopped Salad a try, and feel free to riff on the toppings. This toasted oregano dressing plays very well with others.
Have you tried this recipe? Please take a moment to leave a review in the comments. We’d love to hear what you thought, how you served it, and if you made any substitutions.
Italian Chopped Salad with Toasted Oregano Dressing
Special Equipment
- None
Ingredients
- For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup red onion minced
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- For the Salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce washed and chopped (about 8 cups)
- 2 ounces salami cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup small mozzarella balls
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup cucumber thinly sliced
- ½ cup red pepper thinly sliced
- ½ cup artichoke hearts
- ½ cup cooked lupini beans or chickpeas
- 4 Pepperoncini
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Start the Salad Dressing: Mince the ¼ cup red onion and combine it with the ¼ cup sherry vinegar, 1 clove crushed garlic and ½ teaspoon salt in a small mixing bowl. Let it rest for 10 minutes while you make the salad.
- Preheat a small saute pan over medium heat and dry toast the ½ teaspoon of oregano until it’s fragrant and then add it to the red onion once it’s cooled.
- Make the Salad: Wash, dry and chop the head of romaine into bite sized pieces. Place it in a large bowl and add 2 ounces of cut salami, ½ cup each small mozzarella balls, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumber, thinly sliced red pepper, artichoke hearts and lupini beans.
- Finish the salad dressing: Add the ½ cup extra virgin olive oil to the salad dressing mixture. You’ll need to whisk or shake well right before dressing the salad to temporarily combine it.
- Dress the Salad: Combine the salad and the dressing, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Divide the salads between the plates, and garnish each salad with a pepperoncini. Serve immediately.
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.