Description
This vegetarian Italian chopped salad combines crisp romaine and radicchio with vibrant cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, and protein-rich chickpeas. Tossed in a tangy Italian vinaigrette and optionally dotted with provolone cheese, this refreshing salad is perfect as a side dish or light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad:
- 10 ounces chopped romaine lettuce (about 2 medium or 3 small heads, chopped)
- ½ medium head of radicchio, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- ½ medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup stemmed and thinly sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup (4 ounces) ¼″ cubes of provolone cheese (optional)
Italian Vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 10 twists freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, for heat (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Salad Ingredients: Chop the romaine lettuce, radicchio, red onion, celery, and slice the cherry tomatoes and pepperoncini peppers as indicated. Rinse and roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Rinse and drain the chickpeas if using canned.
- Make the Italian Vinaigrette: In a bowl or jar, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, honey, pressed garlic, freshly ground black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Whisk or shake well until the dressing is fully emulsified and combined.
- Toss the Salad: In a large bowl, add the chopped romaine, radicchio, red onion, celery, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and chickpeas. Pour the prepared Italian vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly to coat all ingredients.
- Add Cheese (Optional): If using provolone cheese, fold in the cubes gently to distribute throughout the salad without breaking them up.
- Serve and Enjoy: Transfer the chopped salad to serving bowls or plates. Serve immediately or chill briefly to let flavors meld. This salad works beautifully as a side dish or a light vegetarian meal.
Notes
- To make this salad dairy free or vegan, omit the provolone cheese and substitute maple syrup for honey in the dressing.
- If short on time, buy pre-chopped romaine and radicchio mix and chop into smaller bite-sized pieces.
- Radicchio adds a pleasant bitterness and unique flavor, but can be omitted if unavailable or disliked.
- The salad is best served fresh but can be chilled briefly before serving for better flavor melding.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
