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Say hello to your newest obsession — Italian Chopped Salad with Pepperoncini Vinaigrette!
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I love making a quick Italian Chopped Salad for lunch. For this recipe, I made a quick pepperoncini vinaigrette to add even more flavor than the usual balsamic-oil combination. It really takes the whole thing to the next level.
I like to load my salad up with a combination of leafy greens (in this case, baby arugula), juicy cherry tomatoes, red onions, diced genoa salami, and provolone cheese. It’s rich, salty, tangy, savory, and all around delicious. It makes a quick lunch salad actually feel like a treat!
ingredients:
- Canned Garbanzo Beans
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Italian Seasoning
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Pepperoncini Peppers
- Pepperoncini Brine
- White Wine Vinegar
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic Cloves
- Romaine Lettuce
- Baby Arugula
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Sweet n’ Tangy Pepper Drops
- Red Onions
- Genoa Salami
- Provolone Cheese
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
step two: prep the chickpeas
Pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel and spread on the prepared baking. Drizzle with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to the oven and bake until the chickpeas are golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
step three: Make the Pepperoncini Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together the minced pepperoncini, pepperoncini brine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
step four: assemble the salad
In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, arugula, cherry tomatoes, pepper drops, sliced pepperoncini, red onions, salami, and provolone cheese.
step five: dress the salad and serve
When the chickpeas are crisp, remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until well coated in the dressing and evenly combined. Divide the salad among. Top with the crispy chickpeas.
recipe faqs:
Sweet n’ tangy pepper drops are my new obsession. Just like their name, they are sweet with a touch of tang! If you like peppadews, you will love these. You can usually find these in the deli section of your grocery store or near the other condiments, but if you can’t find them, you can sub 1/2 cup drained and chopped roasted red pepper.
You can make the chopped salad and dressing in advance, but I would wait to combine them until you’re ready to serve so that the veggies don’t get soggy.
I can’t wait to see you all make your desk lunches more exciting with this Italian Chopped Salad with Pepperoncini Vinaigrette!
looking for more salad inspiration? try these!
Italian Chopped Salad with Pepperoncini Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Crispy Chickpeas:
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Pepperoncini Vinaigrette:
- 6 pepperoncini peppers, cored and minced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons pepperoncini brine
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad:
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce (from about 1 large head)
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup drained sweet n’ tangy pepper drops
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini, drained
- 1/2 cup halved and thinly sliced red onion
- 6 ounces sliced genoa salami, 1/2-inch dice
- 3 ounces sliced provolone cheese, 1/2-inch dice (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the Chickpeas:
- Pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel and spread on the prepared baking. Drizzle with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to the oven and bake until the chickpeas are golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Make the Pepperoncini Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the minced pepperoncini, pepperoncini brine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Assemble the Salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, arugula, cherry tomatoes, pepper drops, sliced pepperoncini, red onions, salami, and provolone cheese.
- When the chickpeas are crisp, remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until well coated in the dressing and evenly combined. Divide the salad among. Top with the crispy chickpeas.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
What cookbook is this recipe found on?
This is just on the blog, not in either cookbook!
I made this salad for my MIL and it changed her life. She hasn’t stopped talking about it, and now she’s growing sweety peppers in her garden. One of the best salads I’ve ever had.
Incredible! So glad it was a hit
This looks so yummy!! Where did you find those peppers in Dallas? Central market?
I’ve found these at Whole Foods and Tom Thumb in the deli bar section or jarred aisle! You can also find them on Amazon.
This salad is incredible! So easy to make for lunches and so tasty!
Made this last night and my boyfriend and I couldn’t get enough! The dressing is delicious— super creative flavor combo. The whole salad tastes like all the best parts of an Italian sub. Perfection!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This has been made 3 times already since posted. Amazing!! Do you have nutrition info for this recipe?
This salad was absolutely delicious and the dressing was perfection. Thank you for always inspiring me to cook.
Aw yay! Thanks Susan! Glad you enjoyed it!
It’s my pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it
This was a great recipe! My husband and I ate this salad for lunches this week. We LOVED the dressing and plan to make it for other salads – great flavor and easy to put together. I couldn’t find the pepper drops in my grocery store and had some roasted red peppers in the fridge, but honestly liked the salad better without them.
The only negative was the chickpeas – we ate some right out of the oven when they were crispy and they were amazing, but by the time we ate them with our salads the next day, they were soggy. Still, was a great meal overall!
My love for chopped salads is pretty fierce & when it’s an Italian version that’s even better! I made this for dinner last week & absolutely loved it!! Sure, there’s some chopping involved but nothing daunting. I loved it so much I went ahead and chopped everything up & stored it in Tupperware for lunches this week. Such a perfect meal for dinner or for prepping to have on hand for lunches!
Yay! glad you loved it!
This looks insane! I can’t wait to make it. 😍