Italian Chopped Salad
Published Jan 01, 2026
This Italian chopped salad is packed with fresh veggies, pantry staples, and tons of flavor! Prep the ingredients, and it's ready in 15 minutes.
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This Italian chopped salad recipe has so much flavor!
I know chopped salads have kind of had a moment lately, but I’ve been eating them this way forever. I just like being able to get everything on one fork without having to stab around or overload my mouth. This Italian chopped salad is exactly that kind of salad for me. It’s romaine chopped small, mixed with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, pepperoncini, artichokes, olives, and mozzarella. The dressing is a simple red wine vinaigrette with olive oil, Dijon, garlic, and oregano. This Italian chopped salad is what I make when I want something filling but still fresh, and I know I’ll actually finish the bowl.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
This recipe was part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for January 2026!
Italian Chopped Salad Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce: Choose romaine with deep green leaves that feel firm but give slightly. If you don’t like romaine, use any mixed greens, kale, or spinach. Here are my tips on how to chop lettuce.
- Fresh vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, and red onion. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to chop an onion.
- Canned/jarred: Low-sodium chickpeas, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts, and green olives.
- Cheese: I use both Mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Herbs: I love adding fresh basil to this Italian chopped salad. Feel free to use your favorite fresh herbs!
- For the dressing: Olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
How to Make an Italian Chopped Salad
Italian Chopped Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 Persian cucumbers diced
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini
- ½ cup chopped artichoke hearts marinated or canned
- ½ cup sliced green olives
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese diced
- ¼ small red onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts, olives, mozzarella cheese, red onion, Parmesan cheese, and basil.
- In a small jar or bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Notes
- My Top Tip: After you toss the salad, let it sit for 5–10 minutes on the countertop to help the flavors meld.
- Storage: Store leftover Italian chopped salad in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to keep it in a large container with a lid so I can easily shake it before serving. If you plan on having leftovers, I recommend keeping the dressing separate and adding it only as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add more protein: The salad has plant-based protein from the chickpeas, but I like to add more with grilled chicken or grilled shrimp.
- Customize the add-ins: This chopped salad is super customizable. Try chopped bell pepper, shaved fennel, chopped carrots, chopped beef salami, and croutons.
Recipe Tips
- Cut your ingredients into even pieces. You want everything to be about the same size so it’s easy to eat.
- Give the bowl a garlic rub. Before you add the salad ingredients, rub a cut garlic clove on the bowl first. When you toss the salad, you’ll get a nice, subtle garlic flavor.
- Let it sit before you serve. After you toss the salad, give it 5–10 minutes on the countertop to help the flavors meld.
Serving Ideas
- Bread: Garlic and Herb Skillet Dinner Rolls, Rosemary Focaccia, Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Pasta: Pasta Bolognese, Arrabiata Pasta with Shrimp, Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Soup: Minestrone Soup, Tomato Lentil Soup, Ravioli Soup
FAQs
All of the ingredients in a classic chopped salad are chopped into small pieces. This makes it easy to eat and lets the flavors mix together evenly.
Drain off the liquid and add some fresh, dry greens and cucumber slices to the bowl. Then, gently toss it with some extra dressing. Next time, I recommend storing the dressing separately from the salad if you plan to have leftovers.
Comments
This is my type of salad!! It is beautiful, healthy, and tastes amazing!! Love the dressing too! I served with baked tofu to up the protein.
Yum, love that! So glad you liked it, Laurie. Thank you!!
Great salad! I made it exactly as posted and can’t wait to make it for family and friends. My husband loves pepperoncinis so he added more to his salad.
Awesome!! So glad you loved it and can’t wait for you to share with family and friends!! Love that!
I made your Italian Chopped Salad recipe. Just delicious! I used cannellini beans instead of chickpeas.
Yum, love that!! So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle. Thanks!
Feast for the eyes first! Delicious salad with yummy vinaigrette.
Yay! So happy you liked it, Agnes! Thanks!!
Delicious salad!! I loved the combo of veggies. No tomatoes for me, though. Yummy dressing. I will use it for other salads too.
Yay! So glad you loved it, Nej!! Thanks!
A favorite salad for sure! I have made this a few times and it is always a winner! Sometimes I change up the veggies a bit depending on what needs using up or what I have on hand, but the dressing is perfect and makes the salad really delicious! So fresh and tasty!
Awesome!! So glad you love it, Adrienne!! Thanks so much!
I made your Italian Chopped Salad recipe. It was a hit! Just delicious! It will be a go-to recipe from now on. Thank you!
Yay!! So happy you loved it! Thanks, Lana!
I love this recipe!! I made a few substitutions. I used Kalamata olives instead of green ones and I used cannellini beans instead of chickpeas. It was soooooo good.
Love the swaps you made!! So happy you enjoyed it, Jules. Thank you!
This salad is delicious!
Thanks, Pearl!! So happy you liked it!
I added some chopped cilantro – made a huge difference in taste
Love that addition!! Thanks for sharing, Irene!
Rich and savory!
Yay! So happy you liked it!!
This salad is so tasty. The dressing is simple and I love that about it. I think the fresh basil is what really elevated the flavors. We will definitely make this again!
Amazing!! So glad you liked it! Thanks so much, Carrie!
This salad is SO good!! Dressing is the best tasting dressing and you literally can add any veggies/meat you’d like! Pepperoni and salami is great in this too! So versatile! Dressing is perfection! Thank you for this recipe!!
Aww, so happy you love it! It is so versatile. Thank you, Kim!!
Great salad to make in the winter. It is definitely hardy enough to feel satisfied! I already had iceberg lettuce so I used that instead – loved that the dressing didn’t overpower the greens due to the swap.
Aww, so happy you liked it! Thank you, Amy!!
I love salads and this is one of my favourites. Simple, quick, no cooking required just 15 minutes and it’s ready.
Yay! So happy you love it, Vanessa!
Great salad. I substituted edamame as I didn’t have chickpeas and forgot the artichokes but it was still delicious. I will make it again.
Love that swap! So happy you liked it, Susan. Thank you!!
I made this for the January challenge. It is a nice, fresh and filling salad for cold winter days!
So happy you liked it, Emiley!! Thank you!
I might just replace my weekly Antipasto salad with this! I made a few subs but it still feels lighter. I’m always looking for new salad ideas. Thanks for sharing!!
Yay! So happy you liked it, Claire. Thanks!
I made the Italian Chopped Salad (switched out chickpeas for cannellini beans) and everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Love that swap! So happy it was a hit at your house, Betsy! Thank you!!
Loved this! Substituted black olives for green based on family’s preference. Paired well with Herbed Chicken. My husband said it was good enough to serve to company!
Yum, love that pairing!! So happy you all liked it! Thank you!!
This was super easy to make and made for a great meal prep for my lunches this week!
Yay!! Glad you liked it!
This salad is truly amazing! Something about the combo of the chickpeas, fresh crunchy cucumbers, and cheeses is just delicious, and then the dressing is just so well seasoned. I loved eating this nice light fresh dish after all the heavy holiday dishes!
Yay!! So glad you loved it, Adelaide!! Thanks so much!
I made this salad for the January challenge and I thought the recipe looked pretty basic. It exceeded my expectations. The dressing was perfect, and the green olive and pepperonici really added to the overall flavor. I used extra artichoke hearts. My husband raved about it.
Aww, love that!! Sometimes simple is better (and just as delicious). So glad it was a hit with you and your husband!! Thanks, Michele!
Made this for dinner last night with Italian beef sandwiches. This was so good! We don’t like olives so I didn’t add those but we did everything else. The homemade dressing was great!
Yum, that sounds like a great pairing!! So happy you liked the salad, Nicole. Thank you!
I was happy to find this recipe in my email this week! I am always craving a good salad, and this one hit the spot! Simple ingredients that taste great together. I added some baby arugula since my romaine was a bit pale in color. I served it to my family with baked chicken breasts. There were no leftovers! Thanks for another quality recipe.
Aww, that makes me so happy to hear! I’m so glad you all loved it!! Thank you so much, Michele!
This is a keeper!
So glad you liked it, Marla!! Thanks!
Fun, fresh and delicious…and filling. Just what I needed to start the new year.
So glad you liked it, Laurie! Thank you!!
Easy to make and the dressing was DELICIOUS!
Thank you, Bob!! So happy you liked it!