You simply cannot get a more delicious salad than this Antipasto Salad. No restaurants have this sublime creation—you have to make it yourself… and you can in 15 minutes flat!
The other day, a client called and asked, at the last minute, if I could prepare dinner for a party of five, including two children, ages five and nine. They wanted an Italian-Greek kind of appetizer or salad, steaks on the grill, a starchy side, a vegetable, and a dessert.
When debating what salad to make that children ages five and nine would like, I hesitated. Would kids like an antipasto salad, I wondered? Could they handle the zesty flavors of Italian dressing? I didn’t have long to think about this. I had only seven hours to put this feast together.
So, I thought about it. And I remembered the birthday party I catered a few weeks prior, where the parents wanted steaks on the grill and similar fare with apps, cocktails, dessert, and all the fixings. And I remembered the epiphany I had then.
See, kids love flavor as much as adults do, you know. Although I could not have children myself, I cook for them constantly and was reminded only recently of how open-minded even younger children are when it comes to food.
I had catered for a three-year-old’s birthday party a few weeks before and found myself transfixed when a mother popped a seasoned, grilled little slice of filet mignon in a wee little girl’s mouth who, as I learned, was three. To my surprise, there were all the usual adult signs of something delicious having been tasted for the first time at work here—first, the closed eyes, then the sound of “mmmmmmmmm.” And I was taught that day that even younger children can appreciate really “adult” flavors if they’re really good flavors.
This is why I know kids of all ages will love this salad—because it’s full of delicious flavors, and kids love delicious flavors as much as adults (although they might not appreciate the olives, they will love everything else here).
Why You and Your Family Will Become Antipasto Salad Fan Club Members
When I want a delicious salad, I make THIS divine creation of a salad, which is what the Greek gods would have in mind if they created a salad full of all their favorite meats, cheeses, and vegetables. This salad is just bursting with rich flavor that comes from spicy salami, fresh provolone, shredded mozzarella, romaine lettuce, both black and green olives, spicy pepperoncini and sweet, bursting cherry tomatoes, with their rich, fresh-off-the-vine flavor. All of this is drenched in this heavenly oily, vinegary dressing that’s made even more delicious with Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, garlic, and freshly ground pepper and salt.
When that dressing hits those sweet tomatoes and creamy cheeses against all that bright, green, grassy lettuce, with the welcome umami bite of those olives, too—it’s sheer Greco-Italian flavor on a plate.
How to Make Ahead and Store
This salad takes only 15 minutes to fix and even less time to devour. Store leftovers right in the bowl with plastic wrap on top, or in an airtight container for up to 2 days before that dressing will compromise the salad’s quality too much. Or if you’re preparing ahead for a party, add everything but the dressing so it will stay fresh for your event, and add that later. Without the dressing, this salad can stay fresh for 2 to 3 days because cherry tomatoes do not get all slushy the way off-the-vine ones will when cut. Also, romaine lettuce is a hardy lettuce that, even when sliced into ribbons, stays pretty fresh undressed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this salad with other great dishes, like this wonderful Easy Baked Spaghetti and a loaf of French bread with this wonderfully delicious French Bread Spread. For dessert, something as special as the entire meal will be, like this Banana Split Cake.
If you love this salad, you’ll really enjoy this Pizza Pasta Salad, which has many of the flavors featured in this salad with a creamier dressing.
Antipasto Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup sliced green olives
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cubed
- 4 ounces provolone cheese cubed
- 4 ounces salami cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini sliced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced black and green olives, cubed mozzarella and provolone cheeses, bite-size salami pieces, and sliced pepperoncini.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder to create the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until all ingredients are well coated.
- Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
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