Best Antipasto Salad Recipe - Delish

Looking for a fresh addition to a picnic or summer dinner? This salad combines the bold, savory elements of an Italian antipasto platter—cured meat, cheese, marinated veg—with crisp romaine and a zingy red wine vinaigrette. It’s a one-bowl twist on a classic appetizer, and like the app itself, it invites customization. I’ve included some of my favorite antipasto ingredients—salami, artichoke hearts, mozzarella balls—and I encourage you to do the same. Here is what you need to know to make this the best it can be.

What People Are Saying:"This is a delicious recipe. Have made it a few times already. This is a keeper!" - GoldBox

"This salad is the best! So tasty and fresh. This is definitely a staple in my home." - BlueCar

How To Make Antipasto Salad

INGREDIENTS

SALAD

• Romaine Hearts: I love romaine for this salad. Its crisp bite offers textural contrast and its bracing, slightly bitter flavor keeps things fresh and balanced.
• Salami: Delivers huge flavor, a bit of heat, and a satisfying chew. Thinly sliced or cut into cubes—it’s your call.
• Mozzarella Balls: Fresh mozzarella balls add a wonderful, mild dairy flavor to the salad. I suggest looking for mozzarella labelled “bocconcini” and cutting the balls in half so they don’t dominate the salad.
• Artichoke Hearts: I can’t get enough of marinated artichokes hearts. Before adding them to the salad, do be sure to drain them well.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Sweet, tart, and juicy, these little flavor bombs bring freshness and color.
• Pepperoncini: These pickled peppers offer vinegary tang and a mild chile kick, servings as a delightful counterweight to the salami and mozzarella.
• Sliced Olives: I use sliced black olives to give the salad more of an Italian-American tilt but go ahead and used any pitted olives—black or green—that you like. Castelvetrano, Kalamata, or Gaeta olives would be particularly tasty here.

VINAIGRETTE

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: A salad with so many big flavors demands a bold dressing. Mine starts with extra-virgin olive oil, which packs so much flavor it could stand as a dressing on its own.
• Red Wine Vinegar: This versatile vinegar possesses just the right amount of crisp acidity to punch through the salad’s richer ingredients without overwhelming its more delicate elements. Substitute with white wine vinegar if that’s what you’ve got.
• Dijon Mustard: Adds body and punch to the dressing.
• Dried Oregano: Brings a burst of earthy, mildly bitter, and peppery flavor that balances the acidity of the vinegar and plays exceptionally well with the tomatoes and mozz.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Give the dressing a subtle kick, enhancing its complexity and enlivening every bite. Feel free to omit spice is not your jam.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Grab a large bowl—large enough to easily toss the salad without tossing half of it on the floor—and prep the ingredients. Note that everything should be cut into bite-size pieces. That’s especially true for the romaine, which should be chopped (for max crunch), not shredded. Add the lettuce, salami, mozzarella, artichokes, tomatoes, and pepperoncini to the bowl, then turn your attention to the dressing.

My vinaigrette couldn’t be much simpler. My trick here is to shake all the ingredients together in a well-sealed glass jar instead of whisking them in a bowl. Shaking creates a perfect emulsion in no time and cuts down on cleanup—it’s a win-win! After shaking, just season with salt and pepper and you’re good to go.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately, while the lettuce is still vibrant.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Variations

• The salami: If you don’t like salami, any cold smoked or cured meat would work—try prosciutto, mortadella, or even pepperoni. For a vegetarian version, look no further than our antipasto chickpea salad.
• The mozzarella: The mozzarella balls are truly special in this recipe, bringing bursts of sweet, milky flavor and soft, springy texture. In a pinch, you could substitute shredded mozzarella or, better, venture further afield and go with shaved asiago, or cubed Fontina.
• The veggies: Not a fan of one of the veggies included here? Try using roasted red peppers and/or chopped red onion instead. If you’re craving something a bit heartier, swap out the lettuce for pasta, as in our antipasto pasta salad!

Recipe Tips

• Double up on the dressing: This vinaigrette is so simple, so good, and so versatile that I strongly recommend making a double batch and keeping it in the fridge for future salad duty. It will maintain its quality for 1 week. Shake well before using.

Storage

Once your salad has been tossed with the dressing, it’s bound to get soggy right quick. If you want to eat it throughout the week, prep your ingredients and store each component (antipasto, lettuce, vinaigrette) separately in an airtight container in the fridge. Toss them all together when ready to eat.