Crunchy Antipasto Chopped Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant salad with chickpeas, crisp vegetables, salami, mozzarella, and zesty Italian dressing. Ready in 20 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables & Legumes

01 - 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1/4 cup pepperoncini, sliced

→ Meats & Cheeses

08 - 3.5 oz salami, cut into small cubes
09 - 1 cup mozzarella pearls or fresh mozzarella, diced
10 - 1/4 cup pitted black olives, sliced

→ Dressing

11 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
12 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
13 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
14 - 1 garlic clove, minced
15 - 1 tsp dried oregano
16 - 1/2 tsp salt
17 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Garnish

18 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
19 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, pepperoncini, black olives, salami, and mozzarella.
02 - In a separate small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Sprinkle with chopped basil and parsley.
05 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours for enhanced flavor development.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything gets chopped into bite sized pieces so every forkful has all the flavors working together
  • You can make it ahead and it actually gets better after the dressing soaks into the chickpeas
  • It travels beautifully and doesn't wilt like leafy salads do
02 -
  • Letting it sit for 15 minutes before serving transforms it completely as the chickpeas soak up that zesty dressing
  • Don't dress it more than 2 hours ahead or the vegetables start to lose their crunch
  • The salami and olives add plenty of salt so taste before adding extra to the dressing
03 -
  • Cut all ingredients roughly the same size so you get multiple flavors in each bite
  • Use the chickpea liquid aquafaba to thin the dressing if it seems too thick
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