The Ultimate Italian Chopped Salad
This post has been sponsored by Earthbound Farm Organic. All opinions expressed here are my own as I only promote brands that I truly love.
The Ultimate Italian Chopped Salad is classic chopped salad with fennel, radicchio and a fresh, flavorful, homemade Italian dressing!
I did one of those ancestry tests last year and was quite surprised when I reviewed the results. I discovered that I’m more Italian than I am Greek….and I didn’t know that I was Italian at all?
Today I’m embracing my newly found Italian roots with The Ultimate Italian Chopped Salad!
This recipe is similar to my tricolore salad, without the long list of ingredients. All of the ingredients in this salad is what makes it the ultimate!
It’s tossed with my tangy, delicious homemade Italian dressing to take it over the top. 🙂
All of the ingredients in this salad contribute to its ultimate status, but the foundation of every great salad is the greens. That’s why when I’m building a salad, it always starts with organic greens from my friends at Earthbound Farm Organic.
I had the pleasure taking part in the Earthbound Farm Organic Experience in October, which included a tour of their farms, talking with their CEO, employees, farmers and organic experts at length to learn more about the company, organic farming and what organic really means.
By choosing organic, I’m saying no to growing produce with over 900 harmful synthetic pesticides that leach into our food, drinking water and the air that we breathe.
Organic farmers like Earthbound Farm Organic have proven that their crops can be managed by pulling weeds by hand, using cover crops, beneficial habitats, mulches, crop rotation and a small toolbox of approved natural-based substances only when the above mentioned methods have failed.
Yes, it’s harder to grow organic, but it’s worth it when the result is richer, nutrient dense soil and a reduction in environmental impact.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Italian chopped salad is bursting with zesty flavors for an exciting salad that the entire family will love.
- It can easily be customized using whatever ingredients you have on hand.
- Ingredients can be prepped up to a few days in advance, making it great for meal prep.
- It can be made vegan and dairy-free with a few simple swaps.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Greens. I chose Earthbound Farm Organic’s new Fresh Organic Rosé Blend for this traditional Italian chopped salad because it includes an assortment of crisp and tender red lettuces that work so well with all of the ingredients. You can certainly use your favorite greens!
- Radicchio. The crunchy radicchio adds bold color and texture that works so well with the other ingredients. It can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.
- Chickpeas. The beans add protein, fiber and make the salad even more satisfying. They may be substituted with your favorite beans.
- Veggies. I used a combination of tomatoes, cucumber and fennel, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Salami. Use your favorite brand, or omit it to make this recipe vegetarian.
- Olives. Use your favorite variety.
- Parmesan cheese. Omit the parmesan to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Dressing. My zesty homemade Italian dressing is the perfect way to top this salad, but you can also use my red wine vinaigrette or your favorite store bought dressing.
How to make this recipe
It wouldn’t be called chopped salad if there weren’t some chopping involved, so get out a cutting board and a sharp knife and get ready!
Pro tip: Prep your ingredients ahead of time to make salad assembly even faster!
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Toss gently with enough dressing to coat.
FAQs
Italian chopped salad includes a bevy of savory ingredients such as salami, olives and parmesan cheese for plenty of umami flavor.
It’s balanced perfectly with hearty chickpeas and fresh produce like greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, radicchio, fennel and basil, then it’s tossed with a tangy Italian dressing to make all the flavors shine.
The best part is that this salad can be customized to use whatever ingredients you have on hand, and may be made dairy-free or vegan with a few simple swaps.
This salad is best assembled right before serving, but the ingredients may be chopped or prepped ahead of time to make assembly a breeze.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Prep your ingredients ahead of time to make salad assembly even faster!
- The Rosé Blend may be substituted with your favorite Earthbound Farm Organic greens.
- Omit the salami to make this a vegetarian chopped salad.
- The parmesan cheese may be substituted with grated or fresh mozzarella or omitted altogether to make this recipe dairy-free.
- The veggies in this salad may be customized with your favorites!
More salad recipes you’ll love:
- Butter lettuce salad
- Chicken Cobb salad
- Citrus salad
- Classic Caesar salad by Bon Appetit
- Greek salad
- Napa cabbage salad
- Pear salad
- Radicchio salad
- Santa Fe chicken salad
- Salmon nicoise salad
- Strawberry fields salad
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Italian Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces Earthbound Farm Rosé Blend or your favorite greens
- 1 small cucumber chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup thinly chopped fennel
- 1 cup chopped radicchio
- 1 cup chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 cup black olives halved
- 1 cup chopped salami
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
- 1/4 cup chopped basil optional
- Homemade Italian Dressing
Instructions
- Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- Toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Prep your ingredients in advance to make salad assembly even faster!
- The Rosé Blend may be substituted with your favorite Earthbound Farm Organic greens!
- Omit the salami to make this a vegetarian chopped salad.
- The parmesan cheese may be substituted with grated or fresh mozzarella or omit to make this recipe dairy-free.
- The veggies in this salad may be customized with your favorite!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
9 Comments on “The Ultimate Italian Chopped Salad”
How interesting! Etienne did one of those tests last year, and we were hoping it would explain a bit about his family’s darker skin tone, but no such luck. Nothing interesting there! You know I love my salads, and this is something I would definitely enjoy eating all week!
No luck huh? That’s too bad! I do know you like your salad and I hope you get to try this one soon!
I wonder if we can get Earthbound Farms around here. That rose blend sounds amazing! Loving everything about this salad Marcie! With the homemade Italian dressing and salami this is a salad my hubby would love too. I may have to try it!
Oh I wish you could — I love all of their products but this blend is extra special! Thanks Leanne!
I just used your Italian pasta salad recipe for Super Bowl Sunday inspiration – and I have lefties that will be eaten for dinner tonight! A lot of similar yumminess in this delicious looking recipe 🙂
I love pasta salad leftovers — they make the best lunch!
We use so many of the Earthbound Farms greens at our house! Definitely a staple. And this salad looks dreamy – I love my salads packed with all kinds of goodness!
They’re the best greens on the market! Thanks so much Ashley!
I agree — Italian food is some of the best out there! Thank you and I hope you get to try the salad!