Italian Salad is loaded with fresh veggies, croutons, and a tasty herb dressing. It’s great with Italian dishes or grilled meats. Use Italian Dressing if you’re out of fresh herbs.
Try this Italian Pasta Salad recipe for a great Italian salad with pasta!
Favorite Italian Salad
My mom loves Kraft’s Italian dressing—she’s a big fan! Growing up, her favorite snack was a cottage cheese bowl and lots of that dressing.
She also used it in many dinners, like pasta salad or Zesty Italian Pasta. If it wasn’t in the dish, it was on the table with a big salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions, and avocado. Sometimes, she’d add artichokes or chopped peppers too.
I still like store-bought Italian dressing, but homemade is much better.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make Your Own: You can add different veggies and proteins depending on what you love (or have on hand).
- Delicious Dressing: It has a fresh, herby dressing that I’m seriously obsessed with.
- Easy to Prepare: It’s quick to put together, and you can even prep some of it ahead of time.
- Goes with Everything: It’s the perfect side dish to go alongside just about any meal.
Ingredients In Italian Salad
- Romaine Lettuce: Crisp and fresh. Dry thoroughly after washing; use a salad spinner if needed.
- English Cucumbers: They’re crunchy and less seedy, plus no need to peel.
- Red Onion: Soak in water with a pinch of salt for a milder taste.
- Tomatoes: Ripe and firm, or use cherry/grape tomatoes.
- Black or Kalamata Olives: Pit them before adding.
- Avocado: Ripe for creaminess; slice just before serving to prevent browning.
- Croutons: Homemade croutons are a great touch!
- Dressing Ingredients: Mix fresh herbs with dried oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, a bit of honey, red wine vinegar for tang, and olive oil for flavor.
Quick Tip
Try the dressing as you make it. Add a little more sugar, vinegar, or salt if needed.
How To Make Italian Salad (Tips)
- Make Dressing Early: Prep the dressing a few hours ahead to blend the flavors.
- Dress at the Last Minute: Add the dressing just before eating to keep the salad fresh.
- Keep Toppings Separate: Add croutons and cheese right before serving so they stay crunchy.
- Add Protein: For a bigger meal, top with grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or air-fried chickpeas.
- Chill Your Bowls: Cool your salad bowls in the fridge to keep the salad cold and crisp.
Variations
- Try Different Greens: Use spinach, leaf lettuce, or mixed greens instead of romaine.
- Add New Veggies: Toss in bell peppers, carrots, artichokes, or radishes for extra crunch.
- Experiment with Cheese: Use feta, goat cheese, or shaved pecorino instead of Parmesan.
- Add Nuts or Seeds: Sprinkle toasted nuts or seeds on top. Favorites include sunflower seeds, pepitas, roasted pistachios, and sliced almonds.
- Change the Dressing: Try balsamic vinaigrette, Greek salad dressing, or my favorite lemon dressing to change things up.
Storage
- Make-ahead: Prepare dressing and salad components separately, refrigerate, and combine just before serving.
- Storage: Store dressing and salad ingredients (excluding avocado, cheese, and croutons) separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Add perishables fresh when serving.
More Italian-Style Dishes
- One-Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies
- Caprese Salad
- Italian Chickpea Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Chicken Salad with Apples
Easy Italian Salad
Delicious and flavorful Italian Salad with a perfect herb dressing and plenty of veggies is easy to customize.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, loosely packed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 up to 3 teaspoons honey (add to taste preference)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- Salt & pepper
For the Salad
- 1 large head Romaine lettuce washed, dried and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup English cucumbers, halved and quartered
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion OR coarsely chopped drained artichokes
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1/3 cup pitted black olives halved
- 1 large avocado, chopped or thinly sliced
- Croutons store-bought or homemade
- Optional: pepperoncini, parmesan cheese
Instructions
- DRESSING: Combine all the "dressing" ingredients in a food processor or mini blender. Season; I add a heaping 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Blend. Taste and adjust to personal preference. Transfer to a mason jar and place in the fridge until ready to use. Shake before using.
- ASSEMBLE: In a large bowl, combine chopped lettuce with veggies. Just before serving, add half of dressing, avocado, and Parmesan cheese, tossing well. Adjust dressing as needed to coat lettuce generously. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with croutons and additional Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
- SERVING: Add avocado, dressing, cheese, and croutons only to the portion of salad that will be finished immediately. This salad doesn't hold well with dressing; leftover salad may result in soggy croutons and browning avocado.
Nutrition
Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 762IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
im lost in a walmart i found cheese and pickles im fine nvm all good
Loved this salad—- but the dressing didn’t keep well for me. Once refrigerated it turned really thick, almost paste like in the jar. Idk what I did wrong
You didn’t do anything wrong! That’s just the olive oil solidifying, which it does at cold temps. Take the vinaigrette out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes or so before you need it to bring it back up to temperature; then shake it up to remix.
This is my go to salad! I get compliments on it every time I serve it to someone new. The dressing is so easy and amazing. I love this salad!
I love hearing that, thank you so much Dana!
This was so amazing that I am making it today for some friends. Thanks
So glad it was enjoyed! Thank you Nancy 🙂
OMG…this salad was amazing. Can’t wait to have friends over to make a big one. Thank you
So glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks Nancy!