Big Italian Salad
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This big Italian salad is loaded with big flavor, fresh veggies, and zesty homemade dressing—just the kind of salad that makes any dinner feel special.
This big Italian salad is my go-to for deep dish pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, bolognese, pasta e fagioli, baked ziti, 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 vinaigrette sitting in your fridge door. It 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.
Feel free to get creative with this salad—swap in your favorite veggies or add some diced salami, prosciutto, or grilled chicken, or roasted chickpeas for a protein boost. Topping it off with homemade croutons would also be delicious.
“We LOVE this salad!! Sometimes I add pepperoncini and artichoke hearts. The dressing is so fresh and herby. It’s our go-to salad for Italian dinners.”
What You’ll Need To Make A Big Italian Salad
- Herbs: Fresh basil and parsley bring fresh herb flavor to the dressing, while dried oregano adds that classic taste. (Pro tip: Many chefs prefer dried oregano over fresh because drying concentrates its earthy, slightly peppery flavor while also mellowing out the bitterness that fresh oregano can sometimes have.)
- Red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, honey, and garlic: Combine to create a balanced vinaigrette that’s tangy, slightly sweet, and rich with a garlicky flavor.
- Romaine lettuce: Crisp and refreshing—pre-washed romaine hearts make it easy.
- Romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, cucumbers, carrots, and grape tomatoes: This mix of greens and veggies adds crispness, vibrant color, sweetness, and crunch.
- Pitted olives and ricotta salata or feta cheese: Bring briny, salty, and creamy richness to the salad.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the dressing. In a food processor, combine the parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey. Pulse until blended.
Step 2: Toss the salad and adjust to taste. Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Right before serving, pour on about half the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing as needed—the greens should be generously coated. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
Pro tip: Save any extra dressing for another time—it lasts nicely in the fridge for up to 4 days and is great on just about everything, from sandwiches and grilled veggies to roasted potatoes.
More Italian salads and dressings you may like
Big Italian Salad
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita
- Heaping ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey
For the Salad
- 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 or Feta, crumbled to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.
- Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese 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. Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Not a feta cheese fan. What other cheese could work with this. Love fontinella. Would that work.
Sure, Linda. Hope you enjoy!
Every single recipe of yours that I have tried is fascinating. I will cook with you with my eyes closed. Thank you.
I initially made this salad for a progressive dinner in my neighborhood and have made it several times since. It has been a big hit every time I’ve served it! The dressing is so bright and fresh and is equally good on grilled veggies. The recipe is easily tweaked for personal tastes and dietary concerns. It goes great with Jen’s lasagna recipe, which is also divine. Try this older recipe, you won’t be disappointed!
5 stars! What a great recipe and easy to alter to make for a big crowd! I served this salad with lasagna for a huge crowd and it could not have been easier. It is a very flavorful and colorful salad and I had many requests for the recipe. I did not add parsley (preference) and I did add additional chopped basil to the salad mixture because I had it and our family really loves basil. Used Feta cheese. Yum!
I have made this Big Italian Salad several times for pot luck dinners at church and for large family gatherings. It is always a huge hit with everyone! “Lick the bowl clean” type of hit! I follow the recipe exactly, with the exception of using the organic mixed greens from Costco instead of the romaine. The dressing is what makes it spectacular – it is so fresh and lovely tasting. Be generous with the dressing – you will not regret it. When I take it for pot luck, I wait and put on the dressing right before it served. Thanks for the great recipe.
This is a wonderful salad, bright tasting and colorful, full of crunch. The dressing pulls it all together. Even leftovers are good! The first time I made it, I tried the ricotta salata cheese that Jen suggests, but now I use feta (my husband is Greek American, so of course I do!). My mother-in-law taught me to use feta in brine and to crumble it myself, rather than already crumbled feta, which has more taste in our opinion. Elaine Benes of “Seinfeld,” lover of “big salads,” would really go for this salad! I do, too.
I really love your zesty Italian dressing. Would that work on this big Italian Salad too?
Yep 🙂
Hi Jennifer — This dressing was FABULOUS! I am always looking for a good, homemade Italian dressing and yours really hit the spot. It’s so easy, too! Thanks again; I love your recipes!
A family member brought your salad dressing to a gathering it was so good I asked her for the recipe. Today I made for my self, not as good guess my garlic cloves were two big. So I started over and used no garlic this time and than blended it to make a larger batch. Voila perfection!!!! Thanks for a great dressing
Hi Jenn,
Having a pot luck at work and plan on bring this salad. Could I add crisp pieces of pancetta to this dish? Thanks for your input. I so much enjoy your recipes.
Barb
Definitely, that sounds delicious :).