Home » Course » SaladsEasy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing Pin RecipeRate RecipeFebruary 8, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. An easy Italian Salad recipe with a zesty homemade vinaigrette and the classic Italian flavors of red onion, tomato, pepperoncini, olives, and parmesan cheese. Jump to Recipe Adding a perfect side salad to your meal is a great way to increase nutrition and balance out your diet. This delicious Italian salad recipe with it’s Italian salad dressing recipe is one you’ll want to save and make over and over again. The best part, it’s easy to make and the whole family will love it. The homemade dressing is so much better than store bought. This salad even makes reluctant vegetable eaters happy to eat salad. The combination of spices and ingredients is absolute perfection. However, we’ve added suggestions for variations and additional add-ins that you might love as well. Table of Contents What is Italian Salad? Ingredients Recommended ToolsInstructionsMake Ahead Recipe Tips Serving SuggestionsMore Fresh Salad RecipesHow To StoreCommon QuestionsItalian Green Salad and Dressing RecipePUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKEBLACKBERRY DUMP CAKEPINEAPPLE MINI CAKES What is Italian Salad? Italian salad, in the United States, is usually referring to a romaine lettuce based salad with red onions, grape tomatoes, black olives, parmesan cheese and an Italian salad dressing including extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. While Italians usually serve salad during or after the main course, Americans traditionally serve it before or during the main course. Notable: colorful, fresh and crunchy salad that pairs well with most main courses Main Ingredients: red onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil, juicy tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, black olives, parmesan cheese, green or red crisp lettuce, crunchy croutons, fresh parsley Cooking Method: no bake Nutrients: excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants Cooking Time: 20 minutes prep time Pairs well with: grilled meats, pasta dishes, lasagna, pizza, chicken parmesan, crusty bread Diets: keto friendly, vegetarian Special Equipment Needed: large bowl, whisk, salad servers or big spoons Ingredients You may have all of these ingredients for this delicious Italian green salad in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this simple Italian salad recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. Zesty Italian Dressing Ingredients 1 tbsp red onion (finely minced) 1 clove garlic (finely minced) ½ tsp Italian seasoning 1 tsp granulated sugar ½ tsp black pepper (coarse) sea salt to taste 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Classic Italian Salad Ingredients ½ red onion (thinly sliced) 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved) ½ cup pepperoncinis (sliced) 1 cup black olives ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated) 1 head green or red leaf lettuce croutons (as needed) Optional Garnish Fresh parsley, fresh basil or other fresh herbs of choice Variations and Substitutions Vinegar: Substitute red wine vinegar with white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, if you like. Tomatoes: We used cherry tomatoes for our salad, but you can use any of your favorite tomatoes. Just make sure to use ripe tomatoes. Additionally you can add some sun-dried tomatoes as well. Olives: Substitute green olives or kalamata olives for the black ones. Salad Greens: Romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or butter lettuce all work well for this easy salad. Tear lettuce to bite sized pieces. Croutons: Use store-bought or homemade croutons for added crunch. Add protein: Add a cooked chicken, steak, pork, shrimp, salmon, or tofu to the top of this salad to make it a complete meal. You could also add some quinoa. Add beans: Toss is some roasted or canned (and rinsed) garbanzo beans. This is also a great way to add extra protein to this simple salad. Add extra fresh veggies: Dice up some red or green bell peppers, english cucumber, kohlrabi or radishes. Roast some red peppers or consider adding canned artichoke hearts. How To Make Gluten Free Making this gluten free is easy! Omit the croutons or make some gluten free ones with gluten free bread. The salad and dressing are naturally gluten free. How To Make Dairy Free And Vegan Omit the parmesan cheese and check to make sure the croutons are vegan. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this big Italian salad recipe, try serving it with our delicious Easy Lasagna. You’ll love it because this simple lasagna recipe uses jarred sauce and is the perfect dish when you’re craving comfort food. Recommended Tools Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale. Large Salad Bowl — We love using a large glass bowl for this easy Italian salad recipe. It works great to mix up the simple Italian vinaigrette, and furthermore looks nice as a serving bowl for this delicious salad. Instructions This section shows how to make Italian salad with an easy homemade Italian vinaigrette, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For printable instructions and nutritional information see the recipe card below. Step1: Begin with the zesty homemade Italian dressing recipe. Firstly, place finely minced onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, pepper, and salt in a large salad bowl. Then whisk together. Step 2: Afterwards add vinegar and whisk to combine. While continuously whisking, drizzle olive oil into the mixture until all of the ingredients emulsify. It will, however, naturally separate over time. Step 3: Then add the lettuce on top of the vinaigrette. Step 4: Afterwards toss salad greens with dressing. Step 5: Then top with remaining salad ingredients and toss to coat everything with the salad dressing from the bottom of the bowl. Step 6: Finally, add croutons and parsley if desired immediately before serving. Enjoy! WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love Italian inspired meals then you’ll love our Easy Basil Pesto Pasta With Meatballs. This amazing homemade pesto sauce comes together in only 10 minutes and can be served with Italian meatballs, chicken or shrimp. Make Ahead You can make the dressing for this great side dish up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Then store in a sealed container or mason jar in the fridge until ready to use. Before adding it to the Italian chopped salad you will have to either shake it up or give it a good whisk. Moreover, you can prepare the individual salad components a couple of hour ahead of time. However, do not mix them together just yet. Store them individually in the fridge until ready to serve. Andrea says…. We always serve this green salad before our favorite Layered Lasagna Recipe. Recipe Tips Follow these tips to make the best Italian restaurant style salad. Tip: Use good extra virgin olive oil to make the best salad dressing. Tip: Only toss the salad when you are ready to serve/eat it. Tip: Add the croutons after you gave the salad its final toss. Stef says…. This amazing salad full of Italian flavors also works great as a main dish in case you are planning on a light lunch. Serve it with crusty bread or this perfect Pull Apart Garlic Bread. Serving Suggestions We love to eat this big salad full of healthy ingredients all by itself. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes: Bread: Serve Italian salad with crusty bread or soft dinner rolls. Garlic French Bread is made with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought french bread. If you have extra time make soft and flavorful Pizza Dough Garlic Knots. In case you are looking for a low-carb option, serve with Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks. Main Dish: Pair Italian green salad with Italian Meatballs, Pepperoni Calzones, Easy Dump And Bake Meatball Casserole, Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe, or Italian Lasagna. Desserts: Finish your Italian inspired meal with creamy and delicious No Bake Chocolate Lasagna, Cannoli Dip or Limoncello Cake Loaf with Limoncello Glaze. Easy Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe No Bake Chocolate Lasagna 4 Layer Dessert Baked Ravioli Shrimp Fettuccine with Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce More Fresh Salad Recipes In case you are looking for more amazing simple side salads, try one of our other easy and delicious side salad recipes: Chopped Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Caprese Salad Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe Strawberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing How To Store Refrigerate: Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake or whisk again before using. We do not recommend storing Italian salad leftovers, because it will loose its crunchy consistency. Common Questions How long can homemade salad dressing be stored? Generally, homemade vinaigrettes and Italian salad dressing can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Shake or whisk again before using. Is it possible to sweeten the vinaigrette with something else besides sugar? Of course! As a matter of fact, you can also add some sweet taste to your salad dressing with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar, for example. What other cheeses can be added to this yummy salad? Besides parmesan cheese, you could also add other Italian cheeses, such as shredded provolone cheese, pecorino or mozzarella, for example. Even though this is an Italian salad, it would also taste great with some feta cheese. olives, parmesan 5 from 3 votes Created by: Stef Italian Green Salad and Dressing Recipe Course Salad, Side Dish Cuisine Italian, vegetarian Prep Time 20 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Print Pin Rate 8 servings An easy Italian Salad recipe with a zesty homemade vinaigrette and the classic Italian flavors of red onion, tomato, pepperoncini, olives, and parmesan cheese. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipmentsalad bowlwhisksalad servers Ingredients 1x2x3xVinaigrette Ingredients:▢ 1 tablespoon red onion finely minced▢ 1 clove garlic finely minced▢ ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper coarse▢ sea salt to taste▢ 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar balsamic or white wine vinegar also work▢ 3-4 tablespoons olive oilSalad Ingredients▢ ½ red onion thinly sliced▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved▢ ½ cup pepperoncinis sliced▢ 1 cup black olives▢ ½ cup grated parmesan cheese▢ 1 head green or red leaf lettuce▢ croutons as needed▢ fresh parsley for garnish InstructionsPlace finely minced onion and garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, pepper, and salt in a large mixing/salad bowl. Whisk together. Add vinegar and whisk to combine.While continuously whisking, drizzle olive oil into the mixture until all of the ingredients emulsify. Add lettuce. Top with remaining salad ingredients and toss to coat everything with the salad dressing from the bottom of the bowl. Add croutons and parsley if desired immediately before serving. NutritionCalories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3570IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PUMPKIN PIECUPCAKECLICK FOR RECIPE BLACKBERRYDUMP CAKECLICK FOR RECIPE PINEAPPLE MINI CAKESCLICK FOR RECIPE PinShareTweet