Antipasto salad is a fresh twist on classic antipasti! It’s a bold, Italian-inspired dish loaded with cured meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, and crisp lettuce. Tossed in a zesty Italian dressing, this salad is perfect for lunches, sides, or appetizers!
I make this easy antipasto salad when I need a vibrant, flavor-packed dish that can be whipped up in minutes. Thanks to the prepared ingredients you’d find on an Italian antipasto platter, like cured meats, marinated veggies, salty cheeses, and briny olives, it comes together quickly and easily.
I’ve always enjoyed grazing, and putting together charcuterie boards, like the Christmas tree antipasto platter and Christmas antipasto wreath, is one of my favorite ways to feed guests on special occasions. But I thought, why not toss it all in a bowl and eat it like a salad any time I want?!
Whether it’s for a summer picnic, you’re hosting a dinner party, or you need a quick lunch, this Italian antipasto salad is a must!
I love that it’s customizable for picky eaters and can be prepared with whatever you’ve got in your fridge. Enjoy this chopped with slow cooker lasagna soup for a dinner that makes mealtime simple and satisfying!
Italian Antipasto Salad
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s packed with so much flavor!
- The zesty dressing takes everything up a notch.
- It’s great for meal prep, as most of the salad can be made ahead.
- Customizable to your taste preferences.
Helpful Tools
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Shredded romaine hearts: Make sure, if it’s not packaged and pre-washed, that you wash but dry very well. You want the lettuce to remain nice and crisp.
- Olives: I use both black kalamata olives and jumbo green olives, sliced. You can keep them whole if you prefer.
- Cheeses: Provolone strips (or cubes) and mozzarella pearls.
- Marinated artichoke hearts: These add a nice tangy, briny element. They come in seasoned oil that works nicely with the dressing, so no need to shake it off!
- Cherry tomatoes and roasted red peppers: Cut the tomatoes in half for a juicy, acidic bite. Drain and chop the roasted red peppers. These add a little sweet and smoky flavor.
- Pepperoncini: You can keep them whole or slice them up. They’re hot and vinegary, and can be omitted if you prefer a milder salad.
- Genoa salami: Slice into thin strips. You can also buy the salami sausage and cut it into cubes.
- Chickpeas: Drained and rinsed.
- For the dressing: Italian seasoning (I have a homemade Italian seasoning recipe if you need one), olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
How to make Easy Antipasto Salad
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Add the shredded romaine lettuce to the bottom of a large serving bowl.
- Step Two: Top with olives, cheeses, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, peppers, salami, and chickpeas. It looks nice for presentation to group the ingredients on the lettuce so everyone can see what’s inside. Then, toss it just before serving.
- Step Three: In a measuring cup, add the oil and vinegar and then whisk in the seasoning. Drizzle over the top of the salad.
- Step Four: Use salad tongs to toss the ingredients, making sure everything is fully incorporated. Enjoy this Italian antipasto salad right away!
How to serve it
As mentioned above, it’s a great starter to slow cooker lasagna soup or minestrone soup, especially when served with a loaf of rosemary and olive oil bread!
- Swap the lettuce for cooked pasta noodles and make it an antipasto pasta salad (similar to Italian sub pasta salad). Or omit the salad and serve it like a dip (Italian hoagie dip style).
- I like to use a bag of shredded Romaine for convenience.
- Measurements can be scaled up or down as needed. Double or triple it for a large crowd. It really is a “measure with your heart” type of recipe.
- Thinly sliced or pickled red onion can be added. You can swap the pepperoncini for giardiniera, if preferred.
- To make the salad ahead, assemble it completely without the dressing. Add it and toss just before serving.
Storage & Leftovers
How to store leftovers
This easy antipasto salad is best served right away, as it will wilt quickly. However, if you want to store any leftovers, cover them airtight and keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Need more salad recipes? Try these:
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Easy Antipasto Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6.5 ounces shredded romaine hearts
- 3 ounces kalamata olives sliced
- 3 ounces jumbo green olives sliced
- 5 slices provolone cheese sliced into thin strips
- 4 ounces mozzarella pearls
- 5 ounces marinated artichoke hearts chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers drained and chopped
- 6 medium pepperoncinis sliced or whole
- 10 slices genoa salami sliced into thin strips
- ¼ cup chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the shredded lettuce to the bottom of a large serving bowl.6.5 ounces shredded romaine hearts
- Top with the olives, cheeses, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, peppers, salami, and chickpeas.3 ounces kalamata olives, 3 ounces jumbo green olives, 5 slices provolone cheese, 4 ounces mozzarella pearls, 5 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, ½ cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup roasted red peppers, 6 medium pepperoncinis, 10 slices genoa salami, ¼ cup chickpeas
- In a measuring cup, add the oil and vinegar. Whisk in the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning, ¼ cup olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Drizzle the dressing over the top.
- Use tongs to toss and fully incorporate all the ingredients.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like to use a bag of shredded romaine, for convenience, but one chopped romaine heart can be used.
- I used slices of Genoa salami because it’s easily accessible. If you prefer, you can get a 1/2 lb chunk from the deli and cube it.
- Same with the provolone cheese, I use slices, but you can cube a chunk from the deli.
- All measurements can be scaled up or down to your preferences.
- Thinly sliced or pickled red onion can be added.
- Instead of peppers, try giardiniera.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days but it is best served immediately as it will wilt fairly quickly.
- If making it ahead, assemble and wait to add the dressing until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Have you ever added tortellini (cooked and cooled) to your salad?
I haven’t, but that’s a great idea!