Makinze is currently senior food editor at Delish, where she develops recipes, creates, and hosts recipe videos and is our current baking queen. She is our expert pie crimper, believes you should always have the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies on hand, and everyone needs to know a perfect roast chicken recipe.
If you’re looking for the freshest 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 our favorite combination of these ingredients, but no two antipasto platters are the same, so feel free to customize the salad to your taste.
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, we’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.
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, we 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 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 15 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 478
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
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 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
- Nutrition Information
- Per Serving (Serves 6)
- Calories478 Fat40 gSaturated fat12 gTrans fat0 gCholesterol71 mgSodium1358 mgCarbohydrates6 gFiber6 gSugar3 gProtein20 gVitamin D0 mcgCalcium280 mgIron3 mgPotassium685 mg
- Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.Powered by
Directions
- Step 1In a large bowl toss lettuce, salami, mozzarella, artichokes, tomatoes, pepperoncini together.
- Step 2Make 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.
- Step 3 Dress salad with vinaigrette and serve.