Big Italian Salad

Name: Big Italian Salad
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves; 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 cloves garlic, peeled; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet; 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita; Heaping 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1-1/2 teaspoons honey; 1 large head romaine lettuce (or 3 hearts), washed, dried and cut into large, bite-sized pieces; 1 large red bell pepper, chopped; 1 cup seeded and chopped hothouse cucumbers; 1 to 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons; Handful grape tomatoes, halved; Handful pitted olives; Ricotta Salata (see note) or Feta, crumbled to taste

5 stars based on 152 votes

327 Reviews

This Italian salad pairs nicely with Italian comfort food. You’ll love the homemade dressing!

This big Italian salad is my go-to for spaghetti and meatballs, fettucini bolognese, pasta e fagioli, baked ziti, focaccia or anything else in that Italian comfort food realm. The homemade dressing is what makes it so good: think of it as a much, much improved version of that bottled Italian dressing sitting in your fridge door.

The dressing takes just a few minutes to make — and, if you’re used to the beige bottled stuff, you’ll be surprised to see how fresh herbs make this vinaigrette a beautiful and vibrant green. That’s how it should be!

What You’ll Need To Make My Big Italian Salad

ingredients for big Italian salad I suggest buying pre-washed romaine hearts so you don’t have to bother rinsing the leaves. If you buy a full head of romaine, be sure to dry the leaves completely after rinsing, otherwise the wet leaves will turn the dressing watery. I’m a big fan of salad spinners for this task, but if you don’t have one, a clean kitchen towel or paper towels both work well.

As for the veggies and cheese, I love a colorful mix of bell peppers, grape tomatoes, carrot ribbons, olives, cucumbers and a salty, tangy cheese such as ricotta salata or — if I’m in a Greek mood — feta. But feel free to improvise with whatever vegetables and cheese that you like.

How To Make A Big Italian Salad

Step 1: Make the Homemade Italian Dressing

Italian dressing ingredients in food processor Combine the parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey in the bowl of a food processor; blitz to blend.

Step Two: Assemble and Toss the Salad

Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve the leftover dressing for another use.

tossing Italian salad with Italian dressing

Pair this salad with a good bread and some Italian comfort food. Or, for a main course, top it with grilled chicken, shrimp or steak. Enjoy!