Grilled Italian Chopped Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 head Romaine Lettuce, washed + cut in half lengthwise

  • 1 small Orange Bell Pepper, cut in half

  • 1/2 small Red Onion, sliced into rings

  • 1 cup Quartered Artichoke Hearts, drained

  • 1/2 cup chopped Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

  • 1 oz. Olli Salumeria Pepperoni Pre-Sliced Salame, diced

  • 1 oz. Olli Salumeria Toscano Pre-Sliced Salame, diced

  • 1 oz. Olli Salumeria Sopressata Pre-Sclied Salame, diced

  • 1/4 cup crumbled Feta Cheese

  • 1/4 cup chopped Fresh Basil

  • 1/3 cup Pita Chips

  • Creamy Italian Dressing, recipe follows

Creamy Italian Dressing Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp. Mayonnaise, good quality

  • 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard

  • 1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar

  • 1 tbsp. fresh Lemon Juice

  • 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

  • ¼ tsp. Garlic Powder

  • Pinch of Salt + Cracked Black Pepper

You are welcome to use store-bought Italian dressing, but the homemade stuff is really, really good! It's a little tangy from the red wine vinegar, super creamy thanks to the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, and rounded out with a hit of freshness from the lemon juice. It comes together in just a couple of minutes, and is totally worth the effort.

I love that this chopped salad is super unique in a couple of ways: first, we grill the romaine lettuce, orange bell pepper, red onion, and artichoke hearts before chopping them and tossing them with the other ingredients. Secondly, we use those three different flavors of salami, which absolutely pack this salad with a ton of flavor. Just so you know what's in store, here is a quick breakdown of the Olli Salumeria Pre-Sliced Salami we're using:

Olli Pre-Sliced Sopressata
Sopressata is a robust salami flavored with whole black peppercorn and garlic. It has SO much flavor, and contributes a little spice to our grilled chopped salad. I'm a big fan of Sopressata in general, and this one from Olli is easily one of my favorites.

Olli Pre-Sliced Toscano
I was really intrigued by the flavor notes in this salami. This Toscano is seasoned with fennel pollen which conveys a slight, licorice-like aroma. It's so deliciously interesting, and adds an entirely new depth of flavor to our salad!

Olli Pre-Sliced Uncured Pepperoni
You can't go wrong with the American classic. I love pepperoni in salads (like in my other recent chopped salad recipe), because it adds a little spiciness and tons of flavor. This particular pepperoni is uncured, and there are no nitrites or nitrates added.

Actually, Olli Salumeria uses only pork that is vegetarian fed and raised without any antibiotics, ever. Their salami is different in the best way; it's made using an old world Italian approach, and aims to create an experience to recreate what a person would eat in Italy. As a VERY big fan of everything Italian, I'll tell you that the difference is real. This salamio has a fresher, sweeter taste than those found here in the States, and the attention to detail, quality, and patience really shines through.

Now let's make the best Grilled Italian Chopped Salad out there. :)

Directions

For the Creamy Italian Dressing

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until creamy and smooth. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. We do this first so the flavors have some time to blend together while we make the salad.

For the Chopped Salad

  1. Cut the romaine in half lengthwise, and set aside. Remove the stem and seeds from the orange bell pepper, and cut the pepper into quarters. Cut the red onion into 1/2" thick rings.

  2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the cut side of the romaine lettuce with avocado or olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Grill the romaine for 2-4 minutes per side until char marks appear. Transfer to a cutting board.

  3. Drizzle the same grill pan with another tablespoon of oil. Grill the quartered bell pepper, onion rings, and quartered artichoke hearts for 4-5 minutes per side until softened and charred. Transfer to the cutting board with the romaine lettuce and allow to cool for a few minutes.

  4. Cut the stem end off of the lettuce, then chop the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Dice the orange bell pepper, onion rings, and artichoke hearts into roughly the same size pieces (ideally 1/2" in size).

  5. Drizzle half of the dressing into the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Transfer the chopped romaine, bell pepper, onion, and artichokes to the bowl, followed by the diced Pepperoni, Toscano, Sopressata, and quartered cherry tomatoes. Toss to combine.

  6. Add the remaining dressing, crumbled feta, chopped basil, and half of the crumbled pita chips. Toss to combine a final time.

  7. Serve with additional crumbled pita chips on top, and enjoy!

Gil Perales