This Antipasto Salad Recipe takes everything you love about a classic Italian antipasto platter and turns it into one big, satisfying salad. It is loaded with salami, prosciutto, sharp provolone, fresh mozzarella, olives, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and cherry tomatoes all tossed in a simple homemade Italian dressing.
It comes together in 20 minutes with no cooking required and works great as a starter, a side dish, or a light main course. It is the kind of salad that everyone always goes back for seconds on! I love to serve it with some no knead focaccia or a slice of this overnight bread to soak up an extra dressing.
20 minutes
easy lunch
Quick Look: Antipasto Salad Recipe
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🥗 Servings: 4 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 522 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Chop and toss everything together
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: lettuce, salami, prosciutto, mozzarella, provolone
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Very easy! You can also prep it ahead of time and toss in the dressing just before serving.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Dinner party hero – I love making an antipasto salad for a dinner party! It feels fancy, but it is SO easy to make
- Prep this salad ahead of time – When I am hosting, I love having dishes that can be done ahead of time. Chop all of your ingredients and make your dressing in advance. Then when it’s time to serve you just have to assemble!
- So many ways to serve it – This antipasto salad recipe is delicious as is, but you could also serve it on a bed of romaine lettuce, or you could even toss it with some cooked fusilli pasta for an antipasto pasta salad
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Green leaf or romaine lettuce – this is the base of the salad. Green leaf lettuce is soft and tender while romaine is crunchier and more sturdy. Either works great or you can use a mix of both
- Dry salami – this adds a salty, savory, and slightly spicy flavor. Look for Genoa salami or any Italian dry salami at the deli counter or in the packaged meats section.
- Sharp provolone – the sharp variety has a bolder taste that holds up well against all the other strong flavors in this salad. Cut it into bite sized cubes or thin slices. You can also use mild provolone.
- Prosciutto – Tear or shred it into pieces before adding it to the salad. It adds a more delicate meaty element compared to the salami.
- Mini mozzarella balls -fresh and soft and add a creamy contrast to all the salty and savory ingredients. If you can only find a larger fresh mozzarella ball, just cut it into bite sized pieces.
- Olives – add a briny, salty pop of flavor that is essential to a classic antipasto salad. Use your favorite variety. Kalamata, Castelvetrano, or a mix of green and black olives all work great.
- Pepperoncini – mild pickled peppers add a tangy, slightly spicy kick to the salad. They are not very hot so they are great for anyone who likes a little zest without too much heat.
- Cherry tomatoes – these add a burst of fresh, juicy sweetness that balances out all the salty and briny ingredients.
- Artichoke hearts – Jarred or canned artichoke hearts add a tender, slightly tangy flavor that is a classic antipasto ingredient.
- Roasted red peppers – Jarred roasted red peppers add a sweet, smoky flavor and a beautiful pop of color.
- Simple Italian dressing – mix olive oil, red wine vinegar and Italian seasoning together to make a very simple Italian vinaigrette
How to make this super Easy Antipasto Salad
Step 1: Cut lettuce into shreds and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour the salami, provolone, prosciutto, mozzarella, olives, pepperoncini peppers, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers into the bowl.
Step 2: Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar and italian seasoning together together in a small bowl.
Step 3: Pour the dressing into the salad.
Step 4: Toss everything together. Sprinkle the bread stick crackers over the top and serve.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best antipasto chopped salad 🥗
- Dress right before serving. Once the dressing goes on the lettuce will start to wilt quickly. Toss everything together right before you are ready to eat for the best texture.
- Dry your lettuce well. Wet lettuce will dilute the dressing and make the salad soggy. Use a salad spinner or pat the leaves dry with paper towels before chopping.
- Cut everything into similar sized pieces. This is a chopped salad so everything should be roughly the same size so you get a little bit of everything in every single bite.
- Let the dressed salad sit for 5 minutes before serving. Once tossed, letting it sit for just 5 minutes allows all the flavors to meld together. Do not let it sit too long though or the lettuce will wilt.
I love a chopped salad for lunch. For a similar flavor profile try this Italian chopped salad or white bean grinder salad.
Recipe FAQs
What is antipasto salad?
Antipasto is the Italian word for before the meal and traditionally refers to a starter course of cured meats, cheeses, olives, and pickled vegetables. This antipasto salad takes all of those same ingredients and tosses them together over fresh lettuce with an Italian dressing for a hearty and flavorful salad.
Can I make antipasto salad ahead of time?
Yes! Prep all the ingredients and make the dressing up to a day ahead. Store everything separately in the fridge. Add the lettuce and toss with the dressing right before serving so nothing gets soggy.
What can I serve with antipasto salad?
It works great as a starter before pasta or pizza, as a side dish at a barbecue, or as a light main course on its own. It is also great alongside grilled chicken or served with crusty bread.
storage
I prefer to enjoy this antipasto salad immediately. All the salad ingredients can be prepped and stored separately in the fridge up to a day ahead of time. Just add the lettuce and dressing right before serving. This makes it a great option for parties and gatherings.
Check out these other simple salad recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Antipasto Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz green leaf or romaine lettuce
- 3 oz dry salami cut into bite size pieces
- 3 oz sharp provolone cut into bite size pieces
- 3 oz prosciutto cut into shreds
- ¾ cup mini mozzarella balls or larger mozzarella ball cut into bite sized pieces
- ¼ cup olives halved
- ¼ cup sliced pepperonicini peppers
- ¼ cup marinated artichoke hearts chopped
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers cut into thin slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp italian seasoning blend
- ½ cup bread stick crackers broken into pieces
Instructions
- Cut lettuce into shreds and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the salami, provolone, prosciutto, mozzarella, olives, pepperoncini peppers, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers into the bowl
- Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar and italian seasoning together
- Pour the dressing into the salad and tossing to coat each ingredient. sprinkle the bread stick crackers over the top and serve
Recipe Notes
- All the salad ingredients can be prepped and stored separately in the fridge up to a day ahead of time. Just add the lettuce and dressing right before serving. This makes it a great option for parties and gatherings.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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