Zesty Italian Chopped Salad (Printable)
Crisp romaine, radicchio, peppers and shaved Parmesan tossed in a bright lemon-red wine vinaigrette.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
02 - 1 cup radicchio, chopped
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
07 - 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
08 - 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced
→ Cheese
09 - 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
→ Dressing
10 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Optional Additions
19 - 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
# How to Prepare:
01 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, roasted red peppers, yellow bell pepper, and pepperoncini peppers until evenly distributed.
02 - Scatter the shaved Parmesan and Kalamata olives over the vegetable mixture.
03 - In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is fully emulsified.
04 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Garnish with additional shaved Parmesan if desired and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The crunch ratio is nearly perfect because every ingredient brings a different texture to the bowl.
- That dressing pulls everything together with a tangy bite that makes you go back for seconds before you realize it.
02 -
- Wait to dress the salad until the absolute last minute or the lettuce will weep and you will have a soggy mess instead of a crisp chopped salad.
- Chopping everything to roughly the same size changes the entire eating experience because each forkful becomes perfectly balanced.
03 -
- Dry your washed vegetables thoroughly with a clean towel because wet greens dilute the dressing and wash away all your careful seasoning.
- Let the dressing sit for ten minutes before pouring so the garlic and oregano have time to bloom and soften their raw edges.