A classic Italian favorite, this simple Antipasto salad is a platter full of favorite meats, cheeses and veggies served with an easy homemade Italian dressing!
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Italian Antipasto Salad Recipe
If you love all things meats and cheeses, you’re going to LOVE this Italian salad. It’s made with a variety of cured meats, various cheeses, olives, artichoke hearts, and fresh herbs, tossed in a zesty homemade vinaigrette.
Most of what is included is already prepared, it’s just a matter of opening jars and slicing and dicing a few ingredients. It is easily customizable with many of your favorites.
The homemade dressing is similar to the one I use for my Italian pasta salad, and it’s done in minutes, and ready to toss and serve on a pretty classic antipasto platter, salad bowl or even a large cutting board similar to a charcuterie board.
What is Antipasto Salad?
Antipasto is a direct translation to mean “before meal”, so this salad is a take on the Italian-style way of serving the first course before the main meal. It consists of meats like salami, cheese like mozzarella, and olives and artichokes.
Antipasto Salad Ingredients Notes
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this delicious salad. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with amounts.
- Greens: Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped.
- Meats: I used diced salami and pepperoni.
- Cheeses: Fresh mozzarella pearls, cubes of provolone cheese. You’ll also need grated Parmesan for sprinkling on top.
- Peppers and onions: Red, thinly sliced red onions for crunch and pepperoncini peppers for tanginess and spice!
- Olives and artichokes: I love kalamata olives. Make sure to use pitted olives if you don’t want to deal with the pits. Then slice them up along with the marinated artichoke hearts.
- Fresh basil for garnish.
- For the antipasto salad dressing: Balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Use any favorite dijon mustard. I love using basil dijon but regular dijon works just as well! Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.
Variations You Can Make
1. Add other meats like prosciutto, mortadella, and different types of salami (spicy or otherwise) like genoa salami, summer sausage, German salami, etc.
2. Experiment with other cheeses like chunks of Pecorino Romano, marinated feta cheese or goat cheese, or fontina cheese. Like I said, it is so customizable.
3. Use different salad greens. Iceberg, butter lettuce, and green leaf lettuce all work. You can also blend a few with the romaine hearts, or use a spring mix for darker greens.
4. Black olives are classic but go ahead and use green olives if you prefer. Or both.
5. Add grape or cherry tomatoes. Or you could also add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers or marinated mushrooms.
6. Swap the balsamic for red wine vinegar if you’d like.
7. Make it heartier by turning it into an antipasto pasta salad by adding cooked and cooled pasta like fusilli (curly noodles) or tortellini.
How to Make Antipasto Salad
This recipe will come together in a few short steps, and it’s almost impossible to mess up!
Step 1: Make the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients together, except the oil, in a small mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, constantly stirring until the dressing starts to emulsify.
Step 2: Add lettuce to a large platter or bowl and drizzle it with half of the dressing and toss the coat.
Step 3: Top with the remaining ingredients and then drizzle with the rest of the dressing. Enjoy immediately garnished with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese!
Tips
- Don’t skip the pepperoni, salami, provolone cheese and mozzarella. They make the antipasto salad so full of flavor!
- Once the salad is dressed, you’ll want to eat it within a few hours, or it may start to become soggy.
- If you can’t find mozzarella balls (aka bocconcini, aka mozzarella pearls), feel free to dice up a larger ball of mozzarella.
- Chop and dice your items so that everything is in bite-sized pieces. That way you get more than one thing on every fork full!
How to Store Leftovers
Once the salad is dressed, it’s best to eat it right away. You certainly can save it for a day or so; it’ll still taste great; however, the lettuce will be soggy. If you are keeping leftovers, refrigerate in an airtight container.
FAQ’s
You can prep this salad up to two days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. If you do, just keep the dressing separate and pour it over the entire salad before serving.
This salad doesn’t need much to go with it, that’s for sure! I’d say have it with a loaf of crusty bread or garlic bread sticks and you’re set. If you’re serving it as a classic Italian appetizer, you could have it before a main course (or as a side dish) of chicken piccata, lasagna, or this popular meatless baked ziti.
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Antipasto Salad
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
For the Salad
- 2 hearts of romaine washed and chopped
- ½ cup salami diced
- ½ cup pepperoni diced
- ½ cup mozzarella pearls
- ½ cup provolone diced into cubes
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup kalamata olives sliced
- ¼ cup marinated artichoke hearts
- ¼ cup pepperoncini peppers sliced
- Grated parmesan
- Fresh basil
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, honey salt and pepper and whisk to combine well.¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Then gradually add in the olive oil whisking constantly until the dressing starts to emulsified.½ cup olive oil
Assemble the Salad
- Place the lettuce into the bottom of a large serving bowl and drizzle it with half of the dressing and toss.2 hearts of romaine
- Top with the remaining ingredients and drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad.½ cup salami, ½ cup pepperoni, ½ cup mozzarella pearls, ½ cup provolone, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup kalamata olives, ¼ cup marinated artichoke hearts, ¼ cup pepperoncini peppers
- Toss and enjoy immediately.Grated parmesan, Fresh basil
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Noreen Barbe
This is spectacular and a delicious being a dish to them party, just let the hostess know.
Cindy
Wow, Sodium, 1 SERVING, 1525 mg !??!