This colorful, Italian Antipasto Salad is perfect for lunch and so easy to make!
Italian Antipasto Salad
Chopped romaine hearts, shredded mozzarella, olives, prosciutto, turkey pepperoni, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, pepperoncini and Giardiniera (colorful vegetables in vinegar) – this quick Italian antipasto salad requires no cooking, which makes it perfect to whip up or pack for lunch.
Once in a while, when we order pizza take-out and I prefer to have a salad, I usually get the antipasto salad. But don’t be fooled, sometimes those salads can be more calories than the pizza! So I created my own, lighter Antipasto salad which is so easy, chances are you probably already have most of the ingredients.
What is Antipasto Salad?
Cold antipasto is usually the first course of an Italian meal, which consists of a variety of cold meats, cheeses, olives, roasted peppers, and a variety of colorful vegetables that have been pickled in vinegar known as Giardiniera and pepperoncini. This adds so much flavor to this salad, without tons of calories and because it is so flavorful, you really don’t need to add a lot of oil or dressing. I make the quick dressing by using some of the vinegar from the jar of the pepperoncini, and just add a touch of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper and finito!
Antipasto Salad Variations
This salad is so adaptable to anyone’s taste.
- I love proscuitto but you can swap it for turkey pepperoni, ham or turkey for leaner options, or use Genoa salami or soppressata.
- You can leave the meat out altogether and add chickpeas, marinated artichoke heats, more cheese and olives.
- Sometimes I also add shredded carrots and sliced mushrooms, whatever you like.
- Swap the mozzarella for provolone.
The real trick to get the bold flavors is from the pepperoncini and Giardiniera. Both are sold jarred in Italian section of the supermarket and add a lot of flavor to the salad. If you can’t find Giardiniera, it’s fairly simple to make it yourself, here’s a recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
I made this salad for one, but it can easily be multiplied for 2 or 4. One thing to note is that this salad is not low in sodium because of the meats, olives and cheese. So if you’re watching your sodium, opt for low sodium ham, cheese and make your own pickled vegetables.
More Salad Recipes You Will Love:
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Kale Salad with Quinoa and Cranberries
- Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers and Tomatoes
Antipasto Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup romaine lettuce chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1 thin slice red onion
- 4 green pitted olives or black
- 1 pepperoncini sliced
- 1/4 cup roasted red pepper sliced (homemade, or buy packed in water)
- 1/4 cup Giardiniera I used Victoria brand
- 1/3 cup cucumbers peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup Polly-o part skim shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 oz 4 turkey pepperoni, sliced thin
- 2 slices Prosciutto Di Parma, sliced
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar or vinegar brine from pepperoncini
- fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Place the lettuce on a large dish and top with meats, vegetables and cheese.
- In a small bowl add vinegar or brine from pepperoncini, add black pepper and whisk in oil.
- Drizzle over salad and enjoy!
I forgot how much I love pickled vegetables! My father who passed away over 20 years ago loved Giardiniera. This was a wonderful easy salad and it brought back many fond memories to boot. What’s not to love? Thanks Gina for another keeper!
Happy memories are the best!!
Love this salad!
I hate olives, what can I substitute with?
Loved how quick it was to prepare. Great, bold flavors!
This looks fabulous, and I can’t wait to try it. Thank you so much for the lower sodium tips!!
Wow! This salad was fantastic! Really easy to make (hello! open jars…add to plate…) and really flavorful. I made the dressing with the pepperoncini brine. I didn’t think it would enough dressing, but it was perfect. I can’t wait to make this one again (tomorrow!)
Look very good, but Giardiniera i dont know this product. It’ look like mixed vegetables but iis it sweet or sour ? I dont think we have that here but i can try to find something similar.
Monique, I found this with other items like jarred peppers, olives, etc. I had never heard of it either, so I googled a picture so I knew what I was looking for. 🙂
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I love love love this salad but I don't understand the points. 2oz of prosciutto alone are 6pts. And roughly how many slices is 2oz. I don't have a scale and was curious. Thanks.
Eating it now for lunch! Another great recipe thanks Gina!!
Delicious! Something different than the usual salad but so good. My husband loved it.
Yum, yum, yum! Loved by the whole family (ages 5-45). Thanks for yet another winning recipe!
I can't find the Giardiniera at Publix. What section is it in? I checked the canned veggies and the pickles/olives section. Is it at specialty stores only?
We buy ours at local Italian markets, and since we have a Little Italy section in our city, we have a number of them. Our neighborhood grocery carries it, but that also may be due to having many Italian citizens here. To cut down the sodium content, I drain the "juice" and even rinse the vegetables in water. The flavor is not as strong without the juices, but it is still there. I add a tasty low calorie Italian dressing to the antipasto (Newman's or Ken's).
This is GREAT. I'm eating as I type. Had everything but the Giardiniera, but still wonderful. My question to you is where are the 19.5g of carbs coming from? As I look at all the ingredients, seems like all of them have 1g or no carbs at all. Can you help?