Print the recipe for Simple Italian Salad

Click the button below or select 'File > Print...'

Simple Italian Salad

Italian Salad with romaine lettuce, croutons, tomatoes, pepperoncini, black olives, parmesan cheese and red onions in a bowl.
  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  5 min

Ingredients

  • 2 Romaine hearts, roughly chopped
  • ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup freshly grated, Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1 cup peperoncini, whole or sliced, drained
  • ½ cup black olives, whole or sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups croutons, store bought or homemade (link ours)

Italian Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Method

  1. Make the dressing. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Shake vigorously until emulsified. 
  2. Make the salad. In a large salad bowl, combine the Romaine, red onion, Parmesan, peperoncini, olives and tomatoes. Season to taste with pepper. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until fully coated. Top with additional parmesan cheese if desired. 

Notes

  1. For a milder onion flavor, soak the sliced red onions in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding to the salad.
  2. The dressing can be made up to a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  3. Add grilled chicken or salami to transform this into a main dish.