Antipasto Chopped Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

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Like a charcuterie board but in salad form, my Antipasto Chopped Salad is filled to the brim with all of the yummy things – olives, salami, fresh mozzarella, marinated artichokes, sweet and juicy grape tomatoes and crunchy fresh romaine lettuce. All tossed in my Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing. This salad has enough oomph to be a meal on it’s own or serve as a side to your favourite barbecued meats. If you didn’t get your Italian Summer then I’m bringing Italian Summer to you with my Antipasto Salad. 

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Contents:

For more hearty chopped salads you need to try my Grilled Chicken, Charred Corn & Broccoli Salad and my Tuna Corn Salad. 

What’s to Love About This Antipasto Chopped Salad

• perfect balance of flavours – olives, salami and marinated artichokes add so much flavour to this salad, which is broken up beautifully with fresh and crunchy lettuce and sweet, juicy grape tomatoes. The red wine vinegar dressing is the perfect accompaniment to these Mediterranean flavours. 
• high in protein – both the mozzarella cheese and the salami adds protein to this salad, which means it can be a full meal or a side salad. Filled with fiber and complex carbohydrates from the vegetables, this salad is healthy and delicious! 
• quick and easy to make – with super easy and quick preparation, this salad is sure to impress with minimal effort at your next gathering. 

Ingredients Notes & Substitutions 

Below is a list of all of the ingredients that you will need for this delicious Antipasti Salad along with any possible substitutions and ingredients notes. This recipe has everything you love from an antipasto platter!

• fresh mozzarella ball – this is the mozzarella that comes in a brine, not the bell mozzarella. You can also use bocconcini, baby bocconcini or burrata. If you prefer a harder cheese then you could use finely shaved provolone cheese or parmesan cheese. 
• salami – I’ve used a mild salami for this recipe but you could also use prosciutto, pancetta or pepperoni. 
• marinated artichoke hearts 
• marinated olives – I’ve used a mixed marinated olives from the deli. Make sure that you use pitted olives too! 
• grape tomatoes – I’ve used small grape tomatoes but you could also use cherry tomatoes or baby Roma tomatoes. 
• Romaine lettuce – also known as cos lettuce. You can swap for iceberg lettuce or gem lettuce if preferred. 

Dressing Ingredients 

To make the salad dressing you will need:

• red wine vinegar
• lemon juice 
• fresh garlic clove, minced 
• French shallot, finely diced
• sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper to taste
• pure maple syrup 
• dried oregano and dried thyme
• extra virgin olive oil 

How to Make Antipasto Chopped Salad

To make my Antipasto Salad recipe, first start by making the vinaigrette. Add the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, finely diced shallot, sea salt, dried herbs and tbsp maple syrup to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking until well combined. 

Next, prepare the vegetables. Roughly chop the lettuce, dice the grape tomatoes, olives, salami and artichokes and add them all to a large serving bowl. Tear up the mozzarella ball and add to the salad. 

Drizzle the salad with the salad dressing and then toss the salad well to combine. If you are preparing this salad ahead of time, leave the salad dressing off until just before serving. The salad dressing makes quite a descent amount – use as much or as little as you like and store the remaining dressing in the fridge for another delicious salad.

What to Serve With Antipasto Chopped Salad

As I mentioned, you can just have this salad all on its own. However, if you are serving it as a side dish then here are some of my favourite accompaniments. 

• grilled steak or quality sausages
• lemon and herb marinated chicken thighs, grilled 
• grilled white fish like barramundi or snapper 
• slow cooked Mediterranean lamb shoulder