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Chopped Italian Salad with Zesty Italian Dressing

This quick and easy Italian grinder salad is packed with all of your favorites and tossed in a homemade Italian dressing that tastes better than store bought!
Print Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup of cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup of black olives, pitted and sliced
  • 1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 1/2 cup of green bell peppers, diced
  • 1/4 cup of banana peppers, sliced
  • 1/4 cup of salami, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

Italian Dressing Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 or 2 lemons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

  • Chop romaine into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
  • Prep all vegetables by halving tomatoes, dicing cucumber and bell pepper, and thinly slicing red onion.
  • Cube mozzarella, slice salami, olives, and banana peppers, and chop fresh herbs.
  • Blend olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar with an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Layer or toss all salad ingredients together in a serving bowl.
  • Drizzle dressing over salad just before serving, or serve on the side.
Servings: 4