Italian Antipasto Salad is a big chopped salad made with deli meats, provolone, crisp romaine, tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette. It has all the flavors of an Italian sub, but served in a bowl.
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Antipasto Salad
This Italian antipasto salad is packed with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onion, Genoa salami, soppressata, ham, and provolone, all served with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Fresh, filling, and ready in 20 minutes.
Antipasto means "before the meal" in Italian. Traditionally, it was the first course, served before the main dish.
Serve it as your salad course or appetizer. It's perfect for a buffet, travels well for a potluck, and makes a great addition to any game day spread. Everyone always loves it!
Salad Ingredients
This salad serves 4 as a main dish and can easily be doubled for a party or potluck.
- Soppressata, Genoa salami, and ham: Ask the deli counter for thick slices so the meat is easy to dice. You can also use prosciutto, mortadella, capicola, or pepperoni.
- Provolone: Cut into small cubes. Mozzarella pearls work too.
- Romaine and radicchio: Romaine keeps the salad crisp, while radicchio adds color and bite.
- Tomatoes, red onion, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and Kalamata olives: These give the salad that classic antipasto flavor.
- Fresh basil: Tear it over the salad right before serving.
- Balsamic vinaigrette: Serve it on the side so the lettuce stays crisp.
Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Sugar
- Minced garlic or roasted garlic
- Salt and black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Ingredient Notes
This salad has plenty of ingredients, but it's simple to make. Just gather everything, dice the meat and cheese, and toss it all together.
Here are some substitutions you can try.
- Romaine: Romaine is crunchy and holds up well with heavy toppings. You can substitute with iceberg, or a spring mix will also work.
- Radicchio: This red leafy vegetable has a spicy, slightly bitter taste. It balances well with the rich flavors of meats and cheese.
- Fresh Basil: Garnish with about one quarter cup of leaves.
- Meats: Soppressata adds spice, salami gives richness, and tavern ham offers a mild taste. You can sub the ham with prosciutto, coppa, mortadella, or pepperoni.
- Cheese: Provolone is classic, but fresh mozzarella cubes or Parmesan shavings are great choices, too.
- Olives: Try a mix of Kalamata olives and buttery Castelvetrano olives. The salty olives help cut through the rich salami and cheese.
- Dressing: A simple sweet balsamic vinaigrette ties everything together. You can substitute red wine vinegar for balsamic.
Dicing Meat and Cheese For a Salad
For a chopped salad, I ask the deli counter to cut the meats and cheese into thick slices, about ¼ inch. This makes it easy to dice the salami, soppressata, and cheese into cubes.
If you have thinly sliced meat, roll a few slices into a cigar shape, then cut them into strips. This gives you short ribbons of meat that mix nicely with the other ingredients.
The same goes for the cheese. Ask for thick slices so you can cut them into even cubes.
Provolone works well, but you can swap in mozzarella slices.
Small mozzarella balls, called ciliegine, are another easy option since they don't need to be cut.
How To Make Antipasto Salad
- Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Cube meat and cheese: Ask the deli counter to cut the meats and cheese into thick slices, about ¼ inch. This makes it easy to dice the meat and cheese into cubes.
- Cut the romaine across into 1-inch strips and place it in your salad bowl.
- For the radicchio, slice it in half, remove the core, then lay it flat on the board. Cut it into 1-inch strips to match the romaine. Toss the radicchio with the romaine.
- Add the romaine and radicchio to a large bowl or serving platter. Arrange the meat, cheese, tomatoes, onion, olives, artichokes, and roasted peppers over the greens.
- Garnish with basil. Serve the balsamic vinaigrette on the side.
Easy Swaps
- Use iceberg instead of romaine, or add a little spring mix if you have it.
- Swap the tavern ham for prosciutto, mortadella, capicola, or pepperoni.
- Use mozzarella pearls or cubed fresh mozzarella instead of provolone cheese.
- Add pepperoncini, banana peppers, extra olives, or more artichoke hearts for a more loaded Italian salad.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Keep the dressing separate if you plan to store ahead; otherwise, the lettuce will soften.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this salad with warm Italian bread, garlic knots, bruschetta, minestrone, or a simple pasta with marinara.
- For a casual dinner, put the salad in a big bowl and serve the dressing on the side.
- For a party, arrange the ingredients over the lettuce on a large platter so everyone can see what's in it.
FAQ
A classic antipasto salad usually includes lettuce, cured meats like salami or soppressata, cheeses such as provolone or mozzarella, and vegetables like tomatoes, olives, artichokes, and peppers, all tossed in Italian dressing.
"Antipasto" is the singular word in Italian, meaning "before the meal." "Antipasti" is the plural form and refers to many dishes. In the U.S., people often use both words interchangeably to describe this style of salad.
In Italian, "antipasto" means "before the meal." It comes from the Latin words ante (before) and pastus (meal). Antipasto dishes, like meats, cheeses, and vegetables, were traditionally served as the first course to stimulate the appetite before the main meal.
Italian Antipasto Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ¼ pound soppressata, diced
- ¼ pound Genoa salami, diced
- ¼ pound tavern ham, prosciutto, or mortadella, diced
- ¼ pound provolone, diced
- ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts
- ½ cup roasted peppers, sliced
- 2 romaine hearts, chopped
- ½ head radicchio, chopped
- ½ cup green or black olives, sliced
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Dice the salami, soppressata, ham, and provolone into cubes.
- Rinse and dry the romaine, then cut across into 1-inch strips. Place in a large salad bowl.
- Slice the radicchio in half, remove the core, place flat side down, and cut into 1-inch strips. Toss with the romaine.
- Arrange the diced meats, cheese, tomatoes, onions, olives, and artichokes over the greens.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve with balsamic vinaigrette on the side.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Keep the dressing separate if you plan to store ahead; otherwise, the lettuce will soften.
Stefanie says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!