Antipasto Salad
User Reviews
5
Antipasto Salad
Description
The Antipasto Salad provides a combination of fresh and cured ingredients tossed together with a homemade dressing. The dressing is a blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper, which both softens the red onion slices and ties all the salad components together. The salad itself is built with shredded romaine lettuce for crunch, halved grape tomatoes for juicy sweetness, pitted black olives for briny contrast, mini pepperoni for a meaty bite, and shredded mozzarella cheese for creaminess. Pepperoncini peppers added on top give a spicy garnish that can be easily avoided if preferred.
This salad delivers varied textures from crisp lettuce to tender-marinated onions and has a savory, tangy flavor profile. It can be served as a side dish for Italian meals or as a light lunch. The ingredients can be adjusted for preference, such as swapping in different olives or pepperoni types. Marinating the onions in the vinaigrette mellows their sharpness and integrates their flavor throughout the salad.
For best results, only dress the portion you intend to serve at once, as leftovers do not store well once fully combined with the dressing. The vinaigrette can be made ahead and stored refrigerated for a few days, and vegetables prepped in advance to save time on assembly.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- salt freshly ground
- black pepper freshly ground
For the salad:
- 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced (1 cup or 4 ounces, see note 1)
- 1 heart romaine lettuce shredded (4 cups packed or 8 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes halved (10 ounces, see note 2)
- 1 (15 ounce) can black olives see note 3, pitted
- 1 (5 ounce) package mini pepperoni (see note 4)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese 8 ounces, shredded
- Pepperoncini peppers to taste, for garnish (see note 5, whole
Instructions
- To make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and oregano, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
- To the bowl with the dressing, add the sliced red onion and marinate at least 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
- To make the salad, in a large bowl add lettuce, tomatoes, olives, pepperoni, and mozzarella. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove onions from the dressing and add to the salad. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette to taste and toss to combine. Garnish with pepperoncini.
Notes
- Use sweet onions in place of red onions if you prefer a milder flavor; marinating tames onion sharpness.
- Substitute grape tomatoes with diced tomatoes if desired; seeding them can reduce moisture.
- Kalamata or green olives work as alternatives to black olives; slicing is optional based on preference.
- If mini pepperoni isn't available, quarter regular-sized pepperoni slices as a substitute.
- Serve whole pepperoncini peppers to allow guests to add or skip according to taste.
- Prepare the vinaigrette up to 3 days ahead and keep refrigerated; prep vegetables a day in advance and store lettuce wrapped in a damp towel.
- Leftover dressed salad should be avoided as it does not keep well; dress only what you plan to eat immediately.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings (1 cup each)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 380 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 cup | |
| Calories | 380kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 11g | 22% |
| Fat | 36g | 55% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 21g | 105% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 39mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 1294mg | 54% |
| Potassium | 176mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 647IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 182mg | 18% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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