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This big Italian salad is loaded with big flavor, fresh veggies, and zesty homemade dressing—just the kind of salad that makes any dinner feel special.
The homemade dressing is what makes this big Italian salad recipe so good. Think of it as a much, much-improved version of that bottled Italian vinaigrette sitting in your fridge door. It takes just a few minutes to make—and if you’re used to the beige bottled stuff, you’ll be surprised to see how fresh herbs make this vinaigrette a beautiful and vibrant green.
Toss it with romaine, a generous mix of vegetables, olives, and crumbled cheese, and you’ve got a salad with plenty going on. I like to bring the whole bowl to the table and let everyone help themselves.
“We LOVE this salad!! Sometimes I add pepperoncini and artichoke hearts. The dressing is so fresh and herby. It’s our go-to salad for Italian dinners.”
What You’ll Need To Make A Big Italian Salad
- Herbs: Fresh basil and parsley bring fresh herb flavor to the dressing, while dried oregano adds that classic taste. (Pro tip: Many chefs prefer dried oregano over fresh because drying concentrates its earthy, slightly peppery flavor while also mellowing out the bitterness that fresh oregano can sometimes have.)
- Red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, honey, and garlic: Combine to create a balanced vinaigrette that’s tangy, slightly sweet, and rich with a garlicky flavor.
- Romaine lettuce: Crisp and refreshing—pre-washed romaine hearts make it easy.
- Red bell pepper, cucumbers, carrots, and grape tomatoes: This mix of veggies adds crispness, vibrant color, sweetness, and crunch.
- Pitted olives: Choose a variety you enjoy, and buy them pitted for easy eating.
- Ricotta salata or feta: Ricotta salata is a firm, salty Italian sheep’s milk cheese—not the soft ricotta sold in tubs. Look for it at a cheese counter, or use crumbled feta instead.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to make big Italian salad
Make the dressing: In a food processor, combine the parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey. Pulse until blended.
Toss: Add all the salad ingredients except the cheese to a large bowl. Right before serving, pour on about half the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing as needed, then taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Add the cheese and enjoy!
Italian Salad Variations
There’s plenty of room to make this salad your own. Swap in vegetables you have on hand, or try one of these additions:
- For more tang: Add sliced pepperoncini or drained marinated artichoke hearts.
- To make it a meal: Toss in diced salami, torn prosciutto, cooked chicken, shrimp, or roasted chickpeas.
- For extra crunch: Add homemade croutons just before serving so they stay crisp.
Make-Ahead & Storage
You can have almost everything ready before dinner—just save the tossing for the last minute. Make the dressing up to 4 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Give it a good shake or stir before using; if the olive oil has firmed up in the fridge, let it stand briefly at room temperature first.
Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine and prep the vegetables a day ahead. Refrigerate separately, keeping the lettuce in a container or bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Add the dressing and cheese just before serving. Any extra dressing is also good on sandwiches, grilled vegetables, or roasted potatoes.
Big Italian Salad
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita
- Heaping ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey
For the Salad
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, or 3 hearts, washed, dried and cut into large, bite-sized pieces
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup seeded and chopped hothouse cucumbers
- 1 to 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
- Handful grape tomatoes, halved
- Handful pitted olives
- Ricotta Salata or feta, crumbled to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.
- Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese in a large bowl. Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland. Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
What To Serve With Big Italian Salad
This is the salad I put on the table when dinner involves bubbling cheese, tomato sauce, or both! Serve it with deep-dish pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, or baked ziti. The crunchy vegetables and herby dressing are just the thing to balance out all that richness.
More Italian salads and dressings you may like
Add a Comment
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Hey Jenn,
I will be making this salad to serve with ziti. How many people will the salad serve with the amount of your recipe’s ingredients?
Thanks! Pam
Hi Pam, the salad is designed to serve six.
One of our most favorite salads. Everyone will ask for recipe. Fresh and delicious. Dressing the best! I make up early, layer each vege between Saran Wrap in salad bowl. When time to serve, remove Saran wrap then toss. Add some dressing until correct amount, serve. Perfect every time!