This classic Italian salad is the ultimate crowd-pleasing side dish starring crisp romaine, tangy pepperoncini, and a punchy Italian vinaigrette. It’s great for pizza night, pasta dinners, or topped with protein as a delicious main dish.
Here’s a great salad that’s simply perfection, in my book. Meet this Italian salad! It’s full of all the right flavors and textures: crisp lettuce, crunchy garlic croutons, and zingy pepperoncini. It’s covered in punchy, herby Italian vinaigrette that makes the flavors sing!
t’s no secret: this recipe is staunchly Italian-American, not a classic Italian recipe. But that’s what I love about this easy salad! It can truly play sidekick to just about anything.
5 Star Reader Review
“Made this salad for pizza night with some friends. It was delicious and perfect with pizza. The combination of veggies, olives, peppers and cheese worked really well. The salad dressing may become our new house Italian dressing!” -Marsha
What You Need for the Best Italian Salad
Perhaps you’ve had a salad like this at an Italian American restaurant (the nostalgia factor is one thing Alex and I love about it). Somehow all the components come together into perfect harmony. Here’s what you need to make this Italian salad:
- Crisp greens: Use contrasting greens for variety: we like crunchy romaine and bright green butter lettuce.
- Tomato & red onion: The veggies bring color and crunch.
- Olives & pepperoncini: This is what brings that classic “Italian salad” vibe: tangy, briny, and zingy flavors. Do not omit!
- Parmesan shavings (optional): Thick slices of Parmesan make a savory counterpoint; they’re easy to omit for a vegan salad.
- Italian dressing: The dressing brings a punch that only homemade dressing can.
- Garlic croutons: Crunchy, garlicky and totally worth the time to make!
How to Make the Italian Dressing (Emulsion Tips)
A few tricks for the Italian salad dressing! This dressing is one of my favorites, and it comes together quickly. The only thing you need to know is how to get the perfect emulsion. Emulsion is when the olive oil and vinegar combine into a creamy liquid, versus separating into their separate parts. Here’s what to remember:
- Use a medium sized bowl. Whisk in too small a bowl, and you won’t be able to get the whisking motion large enough to get an emulsion.
- Pour the oil in 1 tablespoon at a time. Drizzle in the oil gradually and whisk vigorously before adding more. This makes it combine perfectly!
Why Homemade Croutons Are Worth It
Not everyone has time for homemade croutons. But they only take a few minutes of hands on time, and take this Italian salad to the next level! It’s a great way to use up bread that’s starting to get stale. All you’ll need is 15 minutes to bake (and the oven preheat time). The garlic flavor and the massive crunch is absolutely worth the time. Another reason to make homemade? They have no preservatives, and they don’t overdo it on the salt.
You can also make the croutons in advance. Just store them in a sealed container at room temperature until serving. They last for about 1 week, but are best when fresh. You can absolutely omit for a gluten-free salad and it still tastes great.
How to Serve It
This Italian salad is perfect with Mediterranean or Italian-style foods like pizza and pasta. You can even make it into a main dish! Here’s what we recommend:
- Make it a main dish salad. Add pan seared chicken, hard boiled eggs, white beans, or sauteed shrimp.
- Serve with pizza. My favorite way to serve it! Try it with Margherita Pizza, Perfect Pan Pizza, Eggplant Pizza, Flatbread Pizza, Best Healthy Pizza, or Homemade Cheese Pizza.
- Add lasagna. Try my Favorite Vegan Lasagna or Spicy Kale Lasagna.
- Serve with pasta. It’s perfect with Pasta Primavera, Linguine, or Roasted Eggplant Pasta.
- Serve with soup. Try this Pasta e Ceci or Vegetarian Tortellini Soup.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Dressing: Make up to 1 week ahead; store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving (the olive oil will solidify when cold).
- Croutons: Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Salad components: Prep the greens and vegetables up to 1 day ahead. Keep them refrigerated separately and assemble just before serving.
- Leftovers: Once the salad is dressed, leftovers become soggy when stored. Try to only dress what you plan to eat if possible.
Dietary Notes
This Italian salad recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese. For gluten-free, omit the croutons.
Classic Italian Salad
Pin Recipe5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 1 review
This classic Italian salad is the ultimate crowd-pleasing side dish starring crisp romaine, tangy pepperoncini, and a punchy Italian vinaigrette. It’s great for pizza night, pasta dinners, or topped with protein as a delicious main dish.
- Author: Sonja Overhiser
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Italian American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 recipe Homemade Croutons (or use purchased or omit for gluten-free)
- 1 recipe Homemade Italian Dressing
- 1 Romaine heart (3 cups)
- 5 cups butter lettuce
- 1 handful sliced red onion
- ½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup sliced black olives (or halved olives)
- ½ cup jarred sliced pepperoncini
- ¼ cup large Parmesan shavings (omit for vegan)
Instructions
- Make the homemade croutons (or make them in advance).
- Make the Italian dressing.
- Chop romaine and lettuce. Thinly slice the red onion. Slice the tomatoes in half.
- Place the greens in bowls, then top with the vegetables, olives, pepperoncini, Parmesan shavings, and croutons, then drizzle with dressing. Or, you can place them all together in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing. (If making in advance, refrigerate the components separately and keep the croutons at room temperature. Bring the dressing to room temperature before serving.)
More Green Salads To Try
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/G8blt7A
