Italian Chopped Salad

Italian Chopped Sandwich lovers will be more than excited that they can now turn their favorite sandwich into a salad! This Italian Chopped Salad takes just a few minutes to make and is incredibly satisfying. Although it’s not traditional, it uses fresh Italian ingredients that you may even already have on hand, including any sliced ham or cured pork, sliced cheese, and Italian seasoning.

What stands out

What makes this Italian Chopped Salad so special is that every ingredient is chopped as finely as possible. This allows you to experience each flavor and enjoy a bite every time. This is the salad for a picnic school lunches, or even camping. You can prep all of the ingredients the night before (leaving the lettuce on the side so that it doesn’t get soggy) and assemble the following day. With just a few simple steps, this salad comes together in no time. It’s suited to a quick lunch or dinner option when you’re short on time but still want a flavorful and satisfying meal.

How to Prepare Italian Chopped Salad

Chop the lettuce and place it on a clean cutting board along with slices of prosciutto cotto, mortadella, provolone cheese, and pepperoncini.

Use a big sharp knife to chop everything as finely as possible.

You can transfer the chopped ingredients into a bowl and then add the dressing or add the dressing to the salad while it’s still on the cutting board.

Once everything is finely chopped make the dressing by adding the add mayo, Italian seasoning, and pickled juice from the pepperoncini jar.

Mix everything well and your salad is ready to enjoy!

Kitchen tip

You can customize the salad by adding more protein or using lean ground turkey to make it lighter.

Swaps

Feel free to get creative and experiment with different combinations to find your favorite version of this salad. Don’t forget to tell us in the comments how you make this your own!

1. Instead of prosciutto cotto and mortadella, you can use any other types of deli meats such as turkey, ham, or salami. Additionally, you can add grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu for a different protein option.
2. If you’re not a fan of provolone cheese, you can substitute it with other cheeses like mozzarella, cheddar, or feta. You can also omit the cheese altogether for a dairy-free version of this Italian Chopped Salad.
3. Instead of the dressing we use, you can try olive oil and vinegar Italian dressing, or a balsamic vinaigrette for a lighter option.
4. You can also make your own homemade dressing with ingredients like lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and herbs.
5. To lighten up your Italian Chopped Salad, you can use lean ground turkey instead of deli meats, opt for low-fat or fat-free mayo or 1/2 yogurt and 1/2 mayo, and increase the amount of lettuce and other vegetables while reducing the amount of cheese and dressing.

Serve it with

• A crusty bread like our No Knead Peasant Bread
• A simple pasta dish like Pasta Limone

Questions

What is Prosciutto Cotto?

Prosciutto Cotto is an Italian ham that is salted and dry-cured. It is much more exquisite and healthier than regular deli ham. But you can use any variety of deli ham you prefer. We recommend going to a local Italian bakery and getting good-quality meats for your Italian Chopped Salad.

What is Mortadella?

Mortadella is a large Italian sausage or luncheon meat made of ground meat-cured pork, which incorporates at least 15% small cubes of pork fat. It is traditionally flavored with black pepper grains, but modern versions can also contain pistachios or, more rarely, myrtle berries.

strong How Can we prepare this for a picnic or camping?

First, chop all of the ingredients finely and add them to a Tupperware. Make sure you leave the chopped lettuce separately so that it doesn’t get soggy. Assemble the Italian Chopped Salad the next day or at your destination by mixing the lettuce with the rest of the chopped ingredients and finally mixing in the dressing.

How could we make this into a pasta salad?

If you want to make this into a chopped pasta salad, boil your favorite small pasta shape of choice, let it cool, and add it in. You may need to adjust the amount of mayo to make it as creamy as you like.

strong Can we omit the mayo from the dressing?

If you prefer a lighter dressing, you can omit the mayo and use olive oil and vinegar. Or use a mixture of 1/2 yogurt and 1/2 mayo instead. Alternatively, you can use a light or low-fat mayo for a healthier option.

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings

• ½ head iceberg lettuce
• 3 slices prosciutto cotto, or any sliced ham
• 3 slices mortadella
• 3 slices provolone cheese
• ⅓ cup pepperoncini, sliced, optional

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons mayo, more or less to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, more or less to taste
• 1 tablespoon pepperoncini juice, more or less to taste

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Redmond Real Salt

Method

1. Chop the lettuce of choice into small pieces. Add it to a clean cutting board with slices of prosciutto cotto, mortadella, provolone cheese, and pepperoncini (if using).
2. With a big sharp knife, chop everything as small as possible. Note: You can transfer this into a bowl and add the dressing or simply add it on top.
3. Once finely chopped, add the mayo, Italian seasoning and the pickled juice from the pepperoncini jar.
4. Mix well and enjoy!
5. Note: You can definitely add more protein to it or use lean ground turkey to lighten it up.