Antipasto Salad

The Best Antipasto Salad

Make this delicious antipasto salad ahead of time for easy meal prep. With a variety of flavors and textures, it’s the perfect dish to bring to a party or pack for lunch. Get the recipe and try it out for yourself! It is typically served as the first course of a traditional Italian meal. However, I love serving this tasty salad during those hot summer evenings when turning on the stove is not ideal. Serve this hearty low-carb salad as a meal or a side dish with pasta pomodoro or chicken parmesan. Or play it real simple and serve with cheese garlic bread.

What is antipasto salad?

Antipasto salad is a traditional first course of an Italian meal. It typically consists of Italian cured meats, cheeses, olives, and veggies in a light oil and vinegar homemade Italian dressing. Serve with or without greens, but I prefer mine with them as they give it a well-balanced texture.

What You’ll Need

• Vinegar: red wine or white wine.
• Vegetables: garlic, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, fresh or marinated artichoke hearts, cherry peppers, and pepperoncini.
• Seasonings and herbs: dried oregano, dried or fresh basil, salt, black pepper,
• Lemon juice: fresh is best
• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil
• Mozzarella: For optimal taste, use fresh mozzarella cheese like pearls, balls, or cubes. If you can’t find them, buy a chunk and cut it into bite-size pieces.
• Olives: Kalamata or manzanilla
• Salami: I use excellent-quality Italian salami. I am fortunate to have a grocery store within driving distance with a fair selection of quality cheese and cured sausages.

How to make Antipasto Salad

Start by washing, drying, and chopping your romaine lettuce and placing it in a large bowl. Then add the red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil to a mason jar or whisk it in a small bowl. Now cap the jar and shake to combine.

Next, drizzle about half of the dressing over the romaine lettuce on a large platter and toss to coat. Then top with the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mozzarella pearls, Kalamata olives, cherry peppers, pepperoncini, and salami. Drizzle the remaining dressing, top with fresh basil ribbons, and serve.

Beth’s Recipe Tips

• Mix the dressing up to 24 hours in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• For an over-the-top finish, top the salad with fresh basil ribbons or other fresh herbs.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  

Switch It Up

• Marinated vegetables like artichoke hearts or hearts of palm add flavor, depth, and texture.
• Other ingredients to add or substitute in the salad are pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, black olives, green olives, red onion, Parmesan cheese, red peppers, or Provolone cheese.
• For added protein, try prosciutto or pepperoni.

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