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Creamy Italian Chopped Salad

A hearty and flavorful chopped salad packed with salami, pepperoni, tomatoes, and banana peppers, all tossed in a rich homemade creamy Italian dressing. Perfect as a main dish or side.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad Base
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce chopped bite-sized
  • 4 oz Genoa salami sliced or chopped
  • 4 oz pepperoni sliced or chopped
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 0.25 medium red onion thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup mild banana pepper rings drained
Creamy Dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Cutting board
  • Chef's knife
  • Salad tongs or servers

Method
 

  1. Wash and thoroughly dry the chopped iceberg lettuce. Place it in a very large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the salami, pepperoni, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and banana pepper rings on top of the lettuce.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt until smooth and creamy.
  4. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients in the large bowl.
  5. Toss everything together vigorously with salad tongs until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
  6. Serve immediately, optionally with crusty bread on the side.

Notes

For best results, toss the salad with the dressing just before serving to keep the lettuce crisp. You can prep the ingredients and dressing ahead of time and store them separately.