Italian Chopped Salad

When you're serving up several varieties of pizza like I did at my recent Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Showdown party, you definitely want to balance the meal with some vegetable dishes. With that in mind, I prepared this Italian Chopped Salad that went perfectly with the pizza and other Italian inspired fare on the menu. Loaded with fresh mozzarella, sliced pepperoni, diced roasted red bell peppers and chickpeas, it's a great Italian salad that's easy to put together and a hit at the table!

I personally love chopped salad and when I thought about a salad to add to my party menu, I thought an Italian version would be perfect - and it was!  This was a breeze to make because the salad can be prepped and done in advance. Just before serving, whisk the dressing ingredients together and toss with the salad to combine. The flavors and textures work so well together and I've now become a fan of chickpeas in my salad... and I think you will too after trying this recipe!

Italian Chopped Salad
recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Salad:
1 (16 oz) bag prepared salad mix (I used a romaine salad mix)
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
1/4 cup diced jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Dressing:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan


In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the salad ingredients and toss.

For the dressing, combine the vinegar, oil, salt, oregano, basil pepper, and Parmesan in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad just before serving and toss thoroughly to combine the ingredients.