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Big Italian Salad

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

Spoons in a bowl of Italian salad.

This big Italian salad is my go-to for spaghetti and meatballs, 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. 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. 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.

Step-by-Step Instructions

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.

blended Italian dressing

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!

Spoons in a bowl of Italian salad.

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Big Italian Salad

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

Servings: 6

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 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

  1. Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.
  2. 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.
  3. Note: Ricotta salata is an Italian sheep's milk cheese that has a salty, slightly tangy flavor, almost like a dry Italian feta. It is not the same as the wet ricotta in the tub. You can find it at Whole Foods, gourmet grocers or specialty cheese shops.
  4. Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming ½ cup of ricotta salata and all of the dressing was used.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 338
  • Fat: 31 g
  • Saturated fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Sodium: 393 mg
  • Cholesterol: 11 mg

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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Comments

  • This salad is a keeper and will be making often! Loved the dressing and the herb flavors. This is the perfect salad!!! Thanks for the great recipe.

    • — Stephanie Merrifield
    • Reply
  • Delicious!

  • I have cooked so many of your wonderful recipes…always delicious, always easy to follow, have recommended your site to friends, have bought your book…I’m a devoted follower…
    But one thing puzzles me: the ‘Big Italian Salad” include sugar. As the daughter of an Italian mother, a Greek father, and a veteran of many trips to Italy, why add sugar to this recipe? I made the salad to accompany the truly fabulous ziti, … But never made it again.

    • Hi Diana, so glad you enjoy the recipes! I add the sugar to the dressing to balance out the other flavors, but sorry that this one was a “fail” for you.

    • Made this salad last night with baked ziti. My husband commented more than once how much he liked the salad during dinner and again today while finishing the leftovers. I’m not sure which ingredient caused the complete personality change (liking salad and eating leftovers) but keep it up and if you have a recipe that will get him to help with vacuuming please pass it on!

      • LOL — glad it was a hit!!

  • The flavors were great. My guests raved about it. I added avocado. I couldn’t get it to “liquify” the herbs enough, it had a lot of little pieces of parsley and basil. I think it would be better made in a blender (which I don’t have) or a small food processor.

  • Very tasty salad!!! Everybody in the family approved (and these are teenage guys) thank you.. the dressing is very tasty!!

  • Have made this salad several times. Always a hit. My nieces now ask me to make the salad with the green dressing! Simply delicious salad.

    • — WR from Canada
    • Reply
  • Loved this salad and dressing!! We paired it with homemade meatballs and pasta with crusty bread. We used the left over dressing as a dipping sauce for the crusty bread YUM!! I did add some green onions which pared nicely with the other greens. We will definitely use this again and again. Thanks for sharing!

  • Made this and loved it! Will become a regular go to dressing. Thank you for posting!

  • Hi Jenn,
    If I only have the curly parsley and not the Italian, do you think it will make a noticeable difference?

    • No, it should be fine. Enjoy!

  • You (everbody) needs to try this salad dressing…
    Made today to acompany lasagne.
    I used balsamic instead of red wine vinegar, worked a treat.

    It was fantastic, really really nice & thank you, some left over for tomorrow too which I’m happy about 🙂

    I will definitely use again (after tomorrow ;p)

    Thanks again..

  • I just love this recipe! I’ve made the vinaigrette three times now and love it! (second time I made a huge mistake and used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar (that did not taste so good) lol. How long can this vinaigrette stay well? Love your recipes!! (my husband gifted me your cookbook, I’m so happy with it!)

    • Glad you like this (and that you’re enjoying the cookbook)! The dressing should last nicely in the fridge for about 4 days.

  • Fabulous dressing! Tasted like a restaurant-quality salad. This is my new go-to.

  • Served this salad with dinner at my neighbors … and everyone loved it. Since then it has been served at multiple neighborhood events … and every time someone new tries it … they ask for the recipe. The dressing has been described by some as “drinkable”! I added artichoke hearts and banana peppers for some extra “zip”. It is requested almost every time I am invited to a gathering.

  • can you make the dressing a day ahead?

  • Hi there!! Is there a substitute for the Italian Parsley?? Kind of hard to find a variety of fresh herbs in the dead of winter in my small town Looking forward to trying this!!

    • Hi Rochelle, you can just use more basil in place of the parsley. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

      • Hi Jenn,

        Just wondering if this dressing can be made ahead??

        Thanks!
        Alex

        • Definitely – It should be good in the fridge for about 4 days. 🙂

  • The dressing is A-MAZE-ING!!! I could drink the stuff. Hands down the best homemade salad dressing ever. Thanks Jenn! Oh, and the salads great too. 🙂

  • This is delicious. I do lessen the amount of olive oil and slightly up the vinegar. That is a personal preference.

    The herbs add a wonderful zing and freshness. While I follow the recipe (using basil and parsley), you can substitute many varieties of fresh herbs and it would work just as well.

    • Can l freeze the dressing?

      • Hi Jane, It’s never occurred to me to free it, but a few readers have commented that they have done so successfully. 🙂

  • I make this salad last night to accompany a lasagna bolognese and crispy garlic toast. It was absolutely delicious and a hit with everyone. I highly recommend it! I used marinated pitted Kalamata olives from the deli, and they were perfect. I could not obtain Ricotta Insalata and I decided to not use feta. It was not missed, so don’t fret if you don’t find the cheese. This is an absolutely fantastic salad no matter what!

  • The salad dressing for this is refreshing with a wonderful taste…..id give it a 10+ we had a big salad and wow the dressing was fantastic !!!!

  • Hi Jenn,

    I plan to make this salad for Christmas. I couldn’t find fresh basil leaves at the store today, but I’ll try a different store tomorrow. If I can’t get any, can I substitute dried basil? If so, how much would I need?

    • — Lori Schnellert
    • Reply
    • Hi Lori, I wouldn’t recommend dried basil here. You could use fresh mint instead of basil though. Hope that helps!

      • Thank you! Merry Christmas!

        • — Lori Schnellert
        • Reply
  • Thank you for this recipe! How far ahead can you make and store dressing?

    • Hi Jodi, It should be good in the fridge for up to about 4 days. Enjoy!

  • I have made this salad and dressing several times in the last few years and it’s a hit!! Love it, thank you.

  • Oh my! this was delicious!
    You’re my go to chef when it comes to potlocks. I trust your recipes so much that i never have to “try them out” before showing them off. Your recipes are always a hit, and this salad was no exception. I got so many compliments. Yes I also own your cookbook and i love it! Can’t wait for the next one!

  • SOOOOO good! The dressing is amazing. Made another batch to have one hand with other salads. Love it!

  • I am a big fan of your recipes! You are my “go to” person. I recently went to the store to buy fresh basil, but they didn’t have any. Would it be okay to use “Stir in Basil paste” as a substitute? If so, how much? Thx so much!

    • Hi Michele, So glad you enjoy the recipes! Honestly, I’m not sure if the paste would work in this case so I wouldn’t recommend it. You could use fresh mint instead of basil though.

  • Can you please post your ‘middle eastern salad’?
    Greatly appreciate it!

    • Hi JooJoo, If you have my cookbook, it’s on page 92. If you don’t, email me at jennifer@onceuponachef and I’ll reply back with the recipe.

  • This is one of the best salads , I have made. I cut down the oil to 1/4 cup.. it’s easy to make and goes well with pasta.

  • Wonderful salad – honestly, one of the best ever and for keeps, I’ll be making this regularly from now on

  • Hello! Can I use an immersion blender instead of a food processor? This looks really wonderful but I don’t think I want to buy a food processor just to make it! Thanks!

    • Sure, Kim, that will work. Hope you enjoy!

  • My guests loved the salad, and I especially loved the fresh-tasting salad dressing. I did use a whole red bell pepper, and a lot of it was left on guests’ salad plates.
    I made this salad again just for my husband and me with some of the leftover dressing. I used less red pepper but we loved the addition of some cubed avocado.

  • Jenn,
    How long do you think the dressing will keep?

    • Hi Flo, It should keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge. 🙂

  • how long does the dressing last kept in the refrigerator?

    • Hi Janet, It would probably keep well for 3-4 days.

  • Did you use kalamata or black olives?

    • Kalamata 🙂

  • This is my favorite salad, ever – so simple, but so delicious. I do not like store bought dressings, and I usually just use balsamic vinegar and oil because I’ve rarely been able to find a dressing I really like. This is so, so good. I looked forward to salads every day the week that I made this. I wanted to use every drop of that dressing. It’s a keeper.

  • I made this tonight to accompany your (wonderful) spaghetti and meatballs. It was fresh and delicious. I used an immersion blender to simplify clean up, and I always add a couple of teaspoons of water to ensure a good smooth texture. We are looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. Thanks for this great recipe.

  • Terrific love 💕 it

    • — Stormy Weather
    • Reply
  • From an Italian it is a wonderful salad. Love your blog and your cookbook! I have made so many of your recipes-all delicious and easy to follow

  • How do you think this dressing would taste if used in an italian-style pasta salad? I LOVE the salad version….but have been requested to make a pasta salad for a potluck?

    • I think it would be delicious! 🙂

  • I LOVE this salad. I am a salad maker from way back and didn’t think a ‘simple’ salad like this could be that inspiring. However, this has become one of our new go-to recipes; we make it every time we have company now and we are complimented on it every time. Thank you!

    • I will preface by saying, love your blog and so many of your recipes and have your cookbook. Did not like the salad dressing at all. Too much basil and kinda meh on flavor. Still think you are terrific.

  • Call me crazy BUT I made this for a dinner party of 4 and everyone raved about it. SO, now I am planning on serving it for a dinner for 140. Working on my grocery list today…..Loved the homemade dressing and the colors of the salad with the dressing were a delight to the eyes. I am serving it with your Baked Ziti with Sausage and garlic bread.

    • — Susan Campbell
    • Reply
    • Wow – good luck, Susan!

      • Well…I served 167 people and many raved about the salad and the dressing. We used leftover dressing over pasta/sausage a few days later and that was delicious also. I served the salad with your Baked Ziti recipe. A great success!! Thank you for taking the time and effort to make your recipes easy to follow and they always turn out delicious.

        • — Susan Campbell
        • Reply
  • I made this salad for a potluck…talk about YUM!!! Not to worry about extra dressing. I made myself a smaller version to eat for lunch the rest of the week🥰 Thanks for a delicious recipe!

  • Great salad! The colors are beautiful and the flavors all work well together. I learned long ago the yumminess of homemade dressings. You can never go back to bottled! Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe🥰

  • Seriously the best salad ever! I make it for almost every gathering and have never left without someone requesting the recipe.
    Love, love, love this fresh, light salad. ♥️

    • Can I freeze batches of this dressing? I have a TON of basil in the garden and one can only eat so much pesto in a year. I was hoping that maybe I could freeze it and have delicious dressing all year. Thanks!

      • Hi, I’ve never frozen it so I can’t say for sure, but a few readers have commented that they have frozen it successfully. 🙂

  • Absolutely awesome salad/dressing and crowd pleaser… thank you so much for sharing:-)

    • I made this salad to take to a Father’s Day get together and everyone loved it! So did I! I was craving it so much the next day that I made a smaller version for home.
      Kim W.
      California

  • Hello Jenn. I must tell you, your recipes are amazing. World class. I have made several dishes with your recipes. WOW. Keep up the great work.

    • — Louie Grillman
    • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious salad, although the dressing would probably do for 12 people rather than 6! I will definitely make (a half portion) again!

  • I made this salad for my dinner club and it was a hit. Easy, fresh and delicious. Goes great with the bolognese recipe on this site, which was made unplanned by another member of our group!

  • So delicious! I have eaten this for 4 days this week!!! So refreshing and easy. Love all your recipes (especially your desserts)!

  • I’ve made this salad for two dinner parties and both times everyone raved about it. The dressing is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy, just like Jenn promised. It tastes so incredibly fresh and the best part is you can prepare it a few hours in advanced and just leave it to chill in the fridge until serving time. I’m never going back to bottled Italian dressing after this.

    • I’m not a fan of parsley. Is there something I could substitute?

      • Hi Jane, you can just use more basil in place of the parsley. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

  • Wow!!! I don’t know what I missed but i do not like this dressing at all! Jen’s blog and cookbook are pretty much the only places I go for my daily cooking these days and I have never been disappointed. That’s why I was excited to use this salad for my dinner party tomorrow. Good thing I made it a head of time! Now I can move on to plan B.

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