Inspired by an Italian Antipasto platter, this Italian Antipasto Salad brings together salami, fresh mozzarella, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and olives all tossed in a quick Italian Vinaigrette Dressing. This salad is perfect as a meal on its own or served along side your favorite pizza or pasta.
Loaded up with thick sliced salami, marinated chickpeas, chunks of mozzarella, and lots of veggies, this is definitely a salad that eats like a meal. It is perfect for a light dinner (maybe serve it with some fresh Italian bread dipped in olive oil), a hearty lunch, and even fancy enough for company. Packed with Italian flavors, this salad would also be right at home served along side a pizza or pasta for a meal that the entire family will love.
This salad was inspired by my Antipasto Skewers with Italian Herb Marinated Olives, which is always a hit at any party, but it brings the antipasto flavors right in to your meal in a salad that is packed with big flavors and textures.
What Goes into an Antipasto Salad?
Antipasto is the traditional first course of any Italian meal, typically consisting of small bite sized portions served on a platter. When making this Italian Antipasto Salad, I choose some of my favorite antipasto ingredients including olives, artichokes, marinated chickpeas, and cherry tomatoes. Of course, we couldn’t skip the chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese and salami, which add richness to cut through all of the oil and brininess and round out the salad.
When making this Italian Antipasto Salad here are some of my favorite ingredients. Feel free to modify or make substitutions based on your tastes and preferences.
- Mixed Greens: For the base of this salad, I used a big pile of tender mixed greens. You could also use crunchy romaine or a sweet butter lettuce.
- Olives: Kalamata olives are my go to olive these days. I just love the bold, briney flavor. But you could substitute any kind of olives or even a blend of marinated olives (like these Italian Herb Marinated Olives).
- Mozzarella: I used a log of fresh mozzarella roughly chopped in to large chunks because I wanted to have those soft, tender bites of cheese throughout. You could also use tiny mozzarella balls (they were out at my store). OR if you aren’t a fan of fresh mozzarella, feel free to substitute a block of mozzarella cubed or grated.
- Salami: Don’t skip the Italian meat in this Antipasto Salad as the salty meat adds a nice richness to this salad. I used thick sliced salami that was cut into big quarters. You could also use a combination of other thin sliced Italian cold cuts, such as salami, prosciutto, capocollo, sliced or torn into bite sized pieces.
- Artichoke Hearts: I prefer a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, as they add even more flavor.
- Marinated Chickpeas: These Italian Herb Marinated Chickpeas are a star of this Antipasto Salad. Packed with lots of flavor and a little brightness from some lemon, these chickpeas add extra layers of flavor. You can also substitute regular chickpeas if you don’t have time to make the marinated ones, but I highly recommend them.
- Tomatoes & Red Onion: Cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion add freshness and acidity to offset all of the marinated and rich ingredients.
- Italian Vinaigrette Dressing: I made a super simple, quick, and flavorful homemade Italian Vinaigrette Dressing to go with this Antipasto Salad using just some oil, vinegar, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
What Else Can I Add to This Salad?
Anything else you might find on an Italian Antipasto platter would be right at home in this Italian Antipasto Salad.
- Roasted red peppers
- Sundried tomatoes
- Croutons made from crusty bread or focaccia
- Pepperoncinis or banana peppers
- Marinated mushrooms
Italian Antipasto Salad with Simple Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup thick sliced salami
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted)
- 1 cup artichoke hearts
- 1 cup Italian Herb Marinated Chickpeas (see note)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red onion
Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 1 tbs dijon mustard
- pinch salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- To make the dressing, add all dressing ingredients in a jar or container with a tightly fitting lid. Cover tightly and shake until combined.
- Thinly slice red onion, chop salami, halve cherry tomatoes, and cut or tear mozzarella cheese into bite sized pieces.
- To a large salad bowl, add mixed greens and top with cheese, salami, olives, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.