Easy Italian Salad Recipe

This easy-to-make Italian Salad recipe is loaded with fresh greens, vegetables, and tomatoes tossed in a simple vinegar and oil dressing for the perfect start to any meal. You will love the flavors of this classic salad.

If you’re like me and love big, hearty, refreshing salads, please see how to make my Horiatiki or my Classic Cobb Salad.

Italian Salad

Italian salad has many variations and ingredients depending on where and who makes it. In Italy, it is a simple combination of tomatoes, olives, onions, herbs, and occasionally cucumbers tossed in a simple vinegar and oil dressing. In the United States, other vegetables are included, like olives and peppers, while also using leafy greens as the base.

When these simple salads were first brought to life, they were created based on what was in season and what was available, coupled with how to make them taste as best as they could. It can also be customized to your liking using ingredients you enjoy. While any dressing will work, I recommend using the simple vinegar and oil I used to compliment the salad without masking the flavor of any of the fresh vegetables.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Lettuce – Romaine lettuce works best. However, you can use green or red-leaf lettuce or any of your favorite greens.
• Peppers – Any color bell pepper will work, although a red, yellow, or orange will be sweeter and have more flavor.
• Tomatoes – Any fresh tomato will work in this recipe. I prefer to use beef steaks, Roma’s, or San Marzano’s.
• Cucumbers – Any bread of cucumber works well.
• Onions – You can use a red, white, or sweet onion.
• Pepperoncini’s – This is optional, but some jarred pepperoncini add a little tang and zip to the Italian salad.
• Olives – I used a combination of Castelvetrano and black olives. However, you can use any pitted olive in this.
• Vinegar – Red wine vinegar is best to use, but you can also use balsamic/
• Oil – Olive oil is the only oil to use in this.
• Herbs – Some dry oregano adds a lot of flavors to this. You can substitute with dry basil.
• Cheese – freshly grated parmigiano Reggiano takes this salad ot the next level.

How to Make an Italian Salad

Cut the lettuce down into bite-sized pieces.

Prepare the vegetables.

Add the lettuce to a large bowl with the peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pepperoncini’s, oregano, parmigiano, salt, and pepper.

Pour the vinegar and olive oil around the outside edges of the bowl.

Mix the salad, losing a large spoon and fork until combined.

Serve with additional parmigiana cheese.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: Keep the dressing separate and the salad accompaniments separate, but you can prepare this up to 2 days ahead of time for freshness. Don’t season it until it’s ready to serve.

How To Store: If you can keep the seasoning and vinaigrette separate, cover, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Chef Notes + Tips

• Feel free to add a protein like cooked chicken, fish, or steak.
• You can also substitute the vinegar with fresh lemon juice.
• If you are using a larger tomato, then use 3 instead of 6.

More Salad Recipes

• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Panzanella Salad
• Niçoise Salad
• Cucumber Salad
• Chef Salad

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Easy Italian Salad Recipe

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5 from 16 votes

This Italian Salad recipe is loaded with greens, vegetables, and tomatoes in a simple vinegar and oil for the perfect start to any meal.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 large head Romaine lettuce
• 1 seeded julienne red bell pepper
• ½ quarter sliced cucumber
• 6 quarter sliced roma or san marzano tomatoes
• ¼ peeled and thinly sliced red onion
• ½ cup sliced pepperoncinis, no juice
• ¼ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
• ¼ cup pitted black olives
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• ¼ cup finely grated parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ¼ to 1/3 cup olive oil
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cut the lettuce down to bitesize pieces.
• Prepare the vegetables.
• Add the lettuce to a large bowl with the peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pepperoncini’s, oregano, parmigiana, salt, and pepper.
• Pour the vinegar and olive oil around the outside edges of the bowl.
• Mix the salad losing a large spoon and fork until combined.
• Serve with additional parmigiana cheese.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Keep the dressing separate and the salad accompaniments separate, but you can prepare this up to 2 days ahead of time for freshness. Don’t season it until it’s ready to serve.

How To Store: If you can keep the seasoning and vinaigrette separate, cover, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Feel free to add a protein like cooked chicken, fish, or steak.

You can also substitute the vinegar with fresh lemon juice.

If you are using a larger tomato, then use 3 instead of 6.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 5gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 379mgPotassium: 642mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3282IUVitamin C: 78mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 1mg

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Chef Billy Parisi