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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Can you suggest a different lettuce other than romaine until the E coli outbreak has been resolved? I’ve made this fabulous salad so many times to rave reviews and want to make it for this Mother’s Day but don’t want to take a chance with romaine, even if it’s from CA. Thank you. I’m hoping to get your cookbook this weekend. I’ve dropped so many hints with my family !
Hi Trina, You could use butter lettuce, iceberg, or just mixed greens. Have a great Mother’s Day; I hope your family has gotten the hint and you receive the cookbook! 🙂
Update: I got the cookbook today 😀 and the butter lettuce was the perfect substitute!
Yay!
Hi Jenn, have made this many times because it is so fresh and delicious. Unfortunately I am in a jam and don’t have any fresh parsley. Can dried be used or maybe another substitute? Thank you, KimK
Hi Kim, you could used dried parsley (you’ll need about 1/4 cup) but I would probably just use more basil in its place. Hope that helps!
Another winner! Sometimes I throw in avocado. I like it with Jenn’s baked ziti… wonderful!
How many people does this salad serve?
Hi Roma, it serves 6. Hope you enjoy!
My family loved this – even the picky eaters! I made it exactly like the recipe except I omitted the olives
I love this salad!! It is now my “go-to” salad – the freshness and flavours of the dressing really makes it something special.
Hi, can I use curly parsley instead of flat leaf parsley
Sure!
Love it
I made this salad over the weekend for a dinner party with my in-laws. It was a huge hit, thanks to the yummy dressing. If I wasn’t minding my manners, I might have just licked the salad bowl 😉 I love the spice from the garlic and the touch of sweetness from the honey. The ingredients are handy and it easily zips together in my blender. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for another keeper!
This salad dressing is a real winner! This recipe is going in my “keep” file for sure! Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
I have made this recipe several times. This week it was because I needed a substantial veggie dish for a side with leftovers. It worked beautifully. I have recently lost 40 lbs. and my husband needs to gain weight.
This salad is perfect for our needs. Meets my big, bold flavor, lower calorie need, while I give him a heavier carb meal.
Thanks so much.