OUR ANTIPASTO SALAD IS ALL ABOUT THE TOPPINGS
If you’re looking for a fresh addition to any picnic or a teaser to your summer dinner, look no further than this topping-focused salad. Based on the classic Italian appetizer spread, our antipasto salad has a bit of everything you’d find on a typical platter: cured meat, marinated vegetables, and of course, cheese! This recipe contains my favorite combination of these ingredients, but no two antipasto platters are the same, so feel free to customize the salad to your taste. Heres' what you need to know:
What is antipasto?
In Italy, antipasto is an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, and pickled or marinated vegetables that are eaten before the meal– essentially appetizers. Much like charcuterie boards, the specific meats, cheese, and vegetables can vary, depending on whoever’s creating the spread. In this salad, I’ve selected a variety of items that would typically belong on an antipasto platter and tossed them together with romaine and a simple red wine vinaigrette for an easy one-bowl spin on the classic.
Antipasto salad variations:
— The salami. If you don’t like salami, any cold smoked or cured meat would work—try prosciutto, mortadella, or even pepperoni. If you’re not a fan of meat in general, you could also just leave it out or replace it with a vegetarian-friendly option (antipasto chickpea salad, anyone?).
— The mozzarella. The mozzarella balls are truly special in this recipe, giving a cheesy burst of flavor in every bite. But, you could substitute shredded mozzarella in a pinch, or shaved asiago, fontina, or any other mild white cheese.
— The veggies. Not a fan of one of the veggies included here? Feel free to leave it out, or swap it out for roasted red peppers, or chopped red onion. If you’re craving something a bit heartier, swap out the lettuce for pasta like in our antipasto pasta salad!
Storage:
If you plan on eating this throughout the week, I recommend prepping your ingredients separately, storing in an airtight container in the fridge, then tossing them all together with the vinaigrette when ready to eat. Once your salad has been tossed with the dressing, it’s bound to get soggy quickly—store for 1-2 days max in the fridge.
Made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Ingredients
For the salad- 2
large romaine hearts, chopped
- 1/2 lb.
salami
- 8 oz.
mozzarella balls, halved
- 1 c.
quartered artichoke hearts
- 1 c.
cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 c.
chopped pepperoncini
- 1/2 c.
sliced olives
- 1/2 c.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 c.
red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp.
dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp.
oregano
- 1/4 tsp.
red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- In a large bowl toss lettuce, salami, mozzarella, artichokes, tomatoes, pepperoncini together.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a jar fitted with a lid, shake together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Dress salad with vinaigrette and serve.