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Salads don’t have to be the forgotten plus-one at dinner!! We’re having a main character moment with this Italian pepperoncini prosciutto chopped salad. This vibrant salad is bursting with bold flavors and textures and can serve as the main course or a great addition to pasta night!
We don’t do boring salads over here. Salads can and should feel intentional, like the rest of your meal. They can be a great complement to your main dishes or serve as a meal on their own.
This salad is layered with a lot of textures and flavors in each bite. A bed of fresh romaine lettuce tossed in a tangy Dijon mustard vinaigrette and topped with pepperoncini, slices of red onion, crispy prosciutto, green olives, and mozzarella. Every forkful is different.
Why You’ll Love this Italian Pepperoncini Prosciutto Chopped Salad
- A super easy side dish! Not only is this salad delicious, but it also only takes a matter of minutes to assemble. You can even prep all your toppings ahead of time to make this come together in a couple of minutes right when you need it.
- Perfect dish for pasta night! The tangy, bright flavors of this salad will pair perfectly with spaghetti and meatballs or bolognese.
- It’s far from bland! Each forkful is a different experience. Great salads are packed with flavors and textures that complement each other. This salad does not miss the mark!
What You’ll Need
For the salad
- Romain lettuce
- Pickled Pepperoncinis
- Prosciutto, chopped and toasted
- Mozzarella
- Green Casteltrevano Olives
- Red onion
dijon vinaigrette dressing
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Salt and pepper
How to Make This Italian Pepperoncini Prosciutto Chopped Salad, Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat the oven and toast the prosciutto until crispy.
Start by toasting your prosciutto in the oven until it gets browned and crispy. This will add a bit of crunch to the salad. Place prosciutto on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven at 375ºF for about 10 minutes.
Let the prosciutto cool on the baking sheet until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
Step 2: Make your Dijon vinaigrette dressing.
Making homemade dressings is actually super simple, and it tastes so fresh! This dijon vinaigrette adds a tangy punch of flavor to this salad that complements the toppings so well.
You just need a handful of ingredients to make this dressing. Add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a jar. Seal the jar with the lid and give it a good shake to emulsify the mixture. You can stop shaking once the mixture looks smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Chop lettuce and prep toppings.
Grab your cutting board and a sharp knife and get to chopping! We recommend having bowls set to the side to hold your chopped toppings before you assemble the salad.
Start by slicing the lettuce and red onion into thin slices. Add the lettuce and onions to your serving bowl.
Next, slice your mozzarella ball into 1/4 inch cubes. Roughly chop your prosciutto pieces and pitted olives. Pickled pepperoncinis can come whole or sliced. If you are using whole pepperoncinis, slice those last.
Step 4: Assemble your chopped salad!
This is the fun part! Add your toppings – red onions, mozzarella cubes, prosciutto, olives, and pepperoncini- to your bed of lettuce. Drizzle dijon vinaigrette over the top of the salad and toss with salad tongs to mix.
Top with extra pepperoncinis for serving.
What is a chopped salad?
Chopped salads are composed of an assortment of ingredients that are chopped into small, bite-sized pieces. Even the lettuce is chopped finely. That way you can get forfuls of different textures and flavors in each bite!
What pairs well with this salad?
Because this salad has so much depth in flavor, we recommend pairing it with something that is a bit more basic – like bread, sandwiches or pasta dishes.
- Garlic bread or dinner rolls
- Pasta dishes
- Grilled Cheese
- Turkey or chicken sandwich
What are the best olives to use for this salad?
Castelvetrano Olives are our favorite to pair with this salad because they have a nice buttery flavor and texture.
It doesn’t matter if they are pitted or have pits in. We typically buy pitted olives because we prefer the flavor and texture, but either will work perfectly for this salad.
Here’s an easy trick to pit olives for this salad?
You don’t need fancy tools to remove the pits from olives. We learned this one on TikTok, and it has been a lifesaver for pitting olives. We call it the “Smashing” Technique.
- Safety first! Lay a damp towel under your cutting board to prevent the board from sliding while you smash the olives.
- Use a large chef’s knife to smash. Lay the knife on the top of the olive and firmly smack the knife with the heel of your hand. The olive meat should separate from the pit.
- Easily peel off any meat stuck to the pit. If there is any meat of the olive still attached to the pit, remove it with your fingers.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, you can. But make sure to store lettuce and toppings separately before serving.
We don’t recommend assembling the salad ahead of time because the dressing can make the lettuce soggy.
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Italian Pepperoncini Prosciutto Chopped Salad
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This vibrant salad is bursting with bold flavors and textures and can serve as the main course or a great addition to pasta night!
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1/3 cup pepperoncinis, sliced
- 3 oz prosciutto, chopped and toasted
- 8 oz mozzarella ball, cubed
- 1/4 cup castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- S&P to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place slices of prosciutto in a single layer on the paper. Bake for 10-15 minutes until prosciutto is crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before chopping. Chop into small 1/4-inch pieces.
- Make Dressing. Add olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper to a jar. Seal the lid and give it a good shake until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Tip: The easiest way to make dressing and emulsify it into a smooth texture it to add everything to a jar and give it a good shake. If you don’t have a jar, you can add the vinaigrette ingredients to a bowl and whisk until the dressing comes together.
- Using a large chef’s knife on a cutting board, chop romaine into thin slices, so that it almost looks shredded. Add lettuce to a large bowl. Cut the mozzarella into small cubes, chop the olives, and slice the onion into thin slices. Add the toppings to the bowl with romaine lettuce. Add chopped prosciutto to the salad bowl as well.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad and use tongs to mix everything together. Serve right away.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
