Chopped Italian Salad
This Chopped Italian Salad is the loaded salad of your dreams, with romaine, chickpeas, fresh veggies, pickled peppers, olives, and vegan Parmesan cheese tossed in a zingy Italian salad dressing. Vegan and Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 300kcal
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about 1/2-1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced mo
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper to taste
For the Salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce finely chopped (or 1 small head iceberg lettuce)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 2 persian cucumbers quartered and sliced
- 1 16 ounce can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper fine dice
- 1/4 red onion finely sliced
- 1/3 cup sliced banana peppers or pepperoncini peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata or black olives optional
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley and/or basil finely chopped
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese grated (optional; I used dairy-free)
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: Add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper to a small jar. Close the jar and shake vigorously, until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
- Make the Salad: Add the lettuce to the base of a large bowl. Sprinkle the tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, bell pepper, onion, banana peppers or pepperoncini, olives, parsley, and Parmesan on top.
- Mix: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well with tongs, until everything is evenly mixed and coated with dressing. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, as necessary.
- Serve: Divide between serving plates and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Parmesan: I used the Violife dairy-free Parmesan block for this recipe and finely grated it using a microplane.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 700mg | Potassium: 600mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg