Italian Chopped Salad
10
Last updated on Apr 28, 2025
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This easy Italian chopped salad is loaded with romaine, tomatoes, chickpeas, mozzarella, and pepperoncini peppers, all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing. It’s vegetarian, fresh, and easy to make vegan!
I love all salads, but chopped salads are definitely one of my favorites. I love how all the ingredients are chopped into similar sizes so you get a little bit of everything in one bite!
Recently, I was craving a big Italian chopped salad and realized that I’ve never actually shared a recipe here on EBF, so I’m finally doing it!
You’ll find a lot of the classic Italian salad ingredients in this recipe (like romaine lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoncini, and onion), but I decided to add a few new ingredients like green cabbage for extra crunch and nutrients, and chickpeas for a little protein boost. If you love fresh, veggie-packed salads like my antipasto salad or Mediterranean orzo salad, I think you’re going to be just as excited about this one too.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll love This Recipe
Here’s why this salad is one you’ll want to keep in your regular rotation:
- Fresh and crunchy – Every bite is packed with texture thanks to all the chopped veggies.
- Flavor-packed – The combo of chickpeas, mozzarella, pepperoncini, and herby dressing is so satisfying.
- Perfect for meal prep – It holds up surprisingly well, making it great for lunches or easy dinners.
- Customizable – Swap in your favorite veggies or add a protein like grilled chicken to bulk it up.
- Wholesome and nourishing – Full of fiber, healthy fats, and fresh ingredients to keep you feeling good.
Ingredients Needed
- romaine lettuce – the base of this salad! The romaine adds a nice crunch and pairs well with the rest of the ingredients, but you can swap for any leafy green you have on hand if needed. Iceberg lettuce or leaf lettuce would probably be my next choices.
- green cabbage – another base of this salad!
- chickpeas – for some plant-based protein. Try my air fryer chickpeas for extra crunch!
- mozzarella cheese – can’t have Italian salad without cheese! I love the softness and neutral flavor of the cubbed mozzarella, but pearl mozzarella or provolone would be good alternatives.
- cucumber – adds a more refreshing crunch.
- parsley – flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley both work well in this recipe. Make sure your bunch of parsley is washed and dried well before chopping it!
- red onion – for a little zest!
- cherry tomatoes – grape tomatoes work as well. I love the sweet flavor explosion that small tomatoes add to this salad.
- pepperoncini peppers – I love the tangy and sweet peppery taste the pepperoncini peppers add to this salad!
- Italian dressing – I love topping this salad with my homemade Italian dressing.
Customize Your Salad
This salad is completely customizable! Here are some suggestions for variations and substitutions:
- Add fresh herbs: I love adding fresh herbs to my salads. Fresh oregano or fresh basil would both be delicious in this salad.
- Add olives: Green or black olives would be a great addition to this salad.
- Make this dairy-free & vegan: Simply skip the mozzarella (or use a vegan option).
- Add more protein: Toss in some grilled chicken, tuna, or even salami slices if you want to make it more like an antipasto salad.
- Switch up the dressing: Craving a different dressing? This red wine vinaigrette, white balsamic vinaigrette, creamy balsamic vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette dressing would be delicious on this salad!
How to Make Italian Chopped Salad
This salad is so easy to whip up. Once your dressing is made and veggies are chopped this salad comes together in a matter of minutes!
Step 1: Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl or shaking them in a mason jar. Add all your chopped salad ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 2: Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss everything to combine, and portion into bowls for serving. Sprinkle with dried oregano and enjoy!
Brittany’s Tips
Here are a few simple tips to help your Italian chopped salad turn out perfect:
- Chop everything small: Small, uniform pieces make every bite flavorful and balanced (and true to that classic chopped salad style!).
- Dry your veggies well: Especially the romaine and cabbage! If you have a salad spinner, it makes the job super easy and helps keep your salad crisp instead of watery.
- Start light on the dressing: You can always add more, but you don’t want to over-dress and make the salad soggy.
Serving Suggestions
With the chickpeas and mozzarella, this Italian chopped salad is filling enough to be eaten as a meal on its own. Pair it with a side of fresh bread (like this homemade sourdough) for a light lunch or top it with a protein (like this apple cider vinegar chicken or air fryer salmon) for a meal-sized salad to enjoy for dinner.
It also makes for a great side salad. Here are some recipes that would be delicious with it:
Meal Prepping This Salad
This salad is super simple to throw together in the moment, but you can also meal prep it in advance so you have a simple salad on hand throughout the week.
To make this salad in advance, I would add all your ingredients to a large airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store your dressing separately in a small airtight container. I use these 8 oz mason jars and plastic lids for storing so I can easily shake to re-mix the ingredients before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
A chopped salad means all the ingredients are finely chopped into similar-sized pieces, so you get a little bit of everything in each bite. It’s different from a traditional tossed salad where the greens and toppings are often larger and less evenly mixed.
Dry your greens really well (using a salad spinner if you have one!) and don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to serve. If prepping in advance, store the dressing separately.
Of course! This Primal Kitchen Italian Vinaigrette would be my first pick for a store-bought option. It’s sugar-free, dairy-free and is made with avocado oil instead of canola or vegetable oil.
More Salad Recipes to Try
- Mediterranean Salmon Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Lemon Orzo Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- Greek Salad
- Greek Chickpea Salad
Be sure to check out the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Italian Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 heart of romaine lettuce, about 3-4 cups, finely chopped
- 2 cups green cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chopped mozzarella cheese, ¼ inch chunks
- 3 mini cucumbers, about 1 ½ cups, chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ red onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- ⅓ cup Pepperoncini peppers, drained well and finely chopped
- Dried oregano, for serving
- Italian Dressing
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Or add all ingredients into a mason jar and shake to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Place romaine in a large mixing bowl, top with cabbage, chickpeas, mozzarella, cucumbers, parsley, red onion, cherry tomatoes and pepperoncini peppers.
- Portion salad into bowls for serving. You can drizzle the dressing over the salad (start with half and add more as desired), taste and add more dressing if desired. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with oregano and serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have the ingredients on hand for this homemade dressing, you can also use your favorite store-bought dressing. This Primal Kitchen Italian Vinaigrette would be my first pick for a store-bought option. It’s sugar-free, dairy-free and is made with avocado oil instead of canola or vegetable oil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was SO good.
YUM! So glad you are loving this salad, Larissa. Thank you for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
Do you recommend fresh mozzarella?
Asbolutley!
Really loved this recipe. Husband was talking about how great the pepperoncini was in this. It’s like you don’t even notice it, but when you purposely try to taste for it, it brightens the bite up. We never eat them, I bought them just for this recipe, but I’m so glad we included it. Another keeper. Thank you.
YUM! This recipe is such a staple for summer. Glad you and your husband loved this recipe. Thank you for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
What a great salad! Loved the dressing and roasted chickpeas. I used the honey version and they added a little sweetness! Everyone loved it. I was happy that there was a little left over so I could eat it the morning after.
So glad you enjoyed this salad, Jenna. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Beautiful and perfect Italian salad, for now, that is getting warmer by the day. Never occurred to me to add mozzarella, which seems obvious in retrospect. Perfect for tomorrow’s lunch. Thanks
https://spanskklubben.se/
Yay! So glad you’re enjoying this salad – it really is perfect for warmer weather. Enjoy Vicky!