This classic Italian salad is your soulmate side dish! It includes crunchy veggies, crunchy croutons, savory pepperoncini, and a rich house dressing.
Here’s an excellent salad that’s easy perfection, in our books. meet this Italian salad! It’s packed with all the right flavors and textures: crunchy lettuce, crunchy garlic croutons, and zesty pepperoncini. It’s topped with a bold Italian herb dressing that makes the flavors sing! And the grated parmesan seals the deal. He can act as a sidekick to almost anything. It’s no secret that this recipe is decidedly Italian-American and not a classic Italian recipe. But that’s what we love about this easy salad!
What you for the better Italian salad
You may have had a salad like this at an Italian-American restaurant before (the nostalgia factor is something Alex and I love). In one way or another, all components harmonize perfectly with each other. Here’s what you need to make the best Italian salad…or really, the best best salad:
- Crisp Green: Use contrasting greens for variety: We love crunchy romaine lettuce and bright green lettuce.
- Tomato & Red Onion: Vegetables add color and crunch.
- Olives & Hot Peppers: This brings the classic “Italian salad” vibe: tart, brackish and savory flavors. Don’t miss out!
- Parmesan shavings (optional): Thick slices of Parmesan create a savory counterpoint; you can easily omit them for a vegan salad.
- Italian dressing: The vinaigrette packs a punch that only homemade vinaigrette can deliver.
- Garlic Croutons: Crispy, garlicky and totally worth the time to make!
Italian dressing tips
Some Tips for Italian Vinaigrette! This dressing is one of our favorites, and it comes together quickly. The only thing you need to know is how to get the perfect emulsion. In an emulsion, olive oil and vinegar combine into a creamy liquid instead of separating into their component parts. Here’s what to remember:
- Use a medium sized bowl. Whip in too small a bowl and you won’t be able to get enough whipping motion to create an emulsion.
- Pour the oil in 1 tablespoon at a time. Gradually pour in the oil, beating vigorously before adding more. So it can be perfectly combined!
Why Make Homemade Croutons?
Not everyone has time for homemade croutons. But they only take a few minutes and take this Italian salad to the next level! This is a great way to use up bread that’s starting to get stale. They only require 15 minutes of baking time (and oven preheat time). The garlic flavor and massive crunch are totally worth the time. Another reason to go home? They have no preservatives and they don’t overdo the salt.
You can also prepare the croutons ahead of time. Just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve. They keep for about a week, but taste best fresh. You can absolutely do without a gluten-free salad and it still tastes great.
Ways to serve Italian salad
This Italian salad goes perfectly with Mediterranean or Italian dishes such as pizza and pasta. You can even make it a main dish! Here’s what we recommend:
This Italian salad recipe is…
Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the parmesan. For gluten free, omit the croutons.
The description
This classic Italian salad is your soulmate side dish! It includes crunchy veggies, crunchy croutons, savory pepperoncini, and a rich house dressing.
- 1/2 Homemade Croutons Recipe (or buy store bought or leave out for gluten free)
- 1 Recipe for homemade Italian vinaigrette
- 1 Romaine Herz (3 cups)
- 5 cups butter salad
- 1 a handful of sliced red onions
- ½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup sliced black olives (or halved olives)
- ½ cup sliced peperoncini in glass
- ¼ cup large slivers of parmesan (omit for vegans)
- Make homemade croutons (or make them ahead of time).
- Prepare the Italian dressing.
- Chop romaine lettuce and lettuce. Finely chop the red onion. Halve the tomatoes.
- Place the veggies in bowls, then top with the veggies, olives, pepperoncini, shaved parmesan, and croutons, and drizzle with the dressing. Or you can throw them all together in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing. (If making ahead, refrigerate the components separately and store croutons at room temperature. Bring the dressing to room temperature before serving.)
- Category: salad
- Method: Raw
- Kitchen: Italian-American
- Diet: vegan
More perfect green salads
There are so many delicious green salads to try! Here are some favorites:
