Italian Chopped Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing

Making a large interesting salad at the start of each week will encourage healthy eating all week long. My Italian Chopped Salad fits the bill this week, and I love having a stash in the refrigerator ready to go at any time. The creamy dressing is made with healthy ingredients and only one teaspoon of sugar. Gimme all the greens!

Mike and I recently went out for pizza at a new place in our area, and started out with a huge Italian Chopped Salad. It was similar to this one, and I enjoyed it SO much – maybe even more than the pizza. GASP! I knew I needed to recreate it because I get tired of the same old salads.

Variety of ingredients is key to enjoying salads. When I was in college, I ate the most dull combo over and over again – iceberg lettuce, carrots, cottage cheese, croutons, and French Dressing (remember that orange bottled dressing?). Maybe that’s why I always craved candy after dinner.

THIS salad though. Just look at all the bright, colorful ingredients!

• romaine lettuce (get your salad spinner out or you can buy packaged as well)
• pre-packaged Veggie Spring Mix (or something colorful with cabbage, radicchio, and other veg)
• sliced mushrooms
• plum tomatoes (I used a colorful variety mix)
• red onion
• chick peas
• green olives
• hard salami
• mozzarella cheese
• shaved parmesan cheese

You won’t get bored with this salad. I promise.

Let’s talk about this Creamy Italian Dressing next.

I used two parts olive oil to one part red wine vinegar, a tablespoon of Dijon Mustard, a teaspoon of sugar, and a delicious spice combo of salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Seriously creamy and yes, JUST one teaspoon of sugar.

Skip the Ranch Dressing and go for this one.

Here’s what I recommend if you want to make this salad last all work week.

1. Buy your ingredients on the weekend.
2. Prep all your ingredients on Sunday. Wrap the veggies in paper towel and keep them in storage bags or containers. Make the salad dressing as well and keep everything in the refrigerator.
3. Mix up half of the salad on Monday at dinner time (except for the dressing), and store in airtight container.
4. When the first half is gone, mix up the remaining ingredients.
5. Enjoy it ALL week!

Please let me know if you try this Italian Chopped Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing, and how you like it!

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5 from 3 votes

Print

Italian Chopped Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing

Prep Time

20 mins

 

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 large salads

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 10-12 cups romaine lettuce - cleaned and chopped
• 7 ounces Veggie Spring Mix (or 1 head radicchio) - chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion - sliced thin
• 1 cup grape tomatoes - halved
• 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
• 1 can garbanzo beans - rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup green olives
• 4 ounces salami - sliced in strips
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese - cubed
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions

1. For the salad: Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, or six main dish serving bowls.
   

2. For the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a salad shaker or a mason jar. Shake well, and drizzle over salads to serve.