This delicious and hearty chopped Italian salad is perfect for lunches, picnics, or potlucks. It holds up well (no lettuce that can wilt), and it's packed with flavor and color. Makes 6 cups of salad
Course Salads, Side Dishes
Cuisine Italian
Keyword dairy free italian chopped salad, italian chopped salad
Chop the cucumbers (with the skin on) and add to a large bowl.
2 cups chopped cucumber
Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes and add to the bowl.
1 ½ cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Add the marinated artichoke hearts and olives to the bowl, setting aside the liquid from each for later.
12 ounce jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, 7 ounces oil and herb marinated olives
Slice or chop the salami, chop the roasted red peppers, and chop the onion (either the red onion or the green onion), adding it to the large bowl.
3 ounces dairy free salami, sliced or chopped*, 2/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped, 1/4 cup chopped red onion OR sliced green onion
Add the garlic, the all-purpose Cajun/Creole spice, the dried Italian herbs, half of the grated dairy-free Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the salad to combine everything.
1 clove garlic, pressed, 1 teaspoon all purpose Cajun spice, 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix, Salt and pepper, to taste, 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated dairy free parmesan cheese
Add the salad to a serving bowl and top with the remaining dairy-free Parmesan cheese and serve.
If you'd like to make this ahead, I'd still recommend making this salad the same day for the best texture. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Notes
*Some salami uses powdered milk in their recipes as a binder, so check the ingredients in your salami that you use to ensure it's dairy free. You can also swap the salami for pepperoni if you want a spicier flavor. This salad would also be delicious with sliced pepperoncini added, and allergy friendly pasta if you want a pasta-veggie salad.