This easy antipasto salad recipe turns a classic antipasto platter into a crowd-pleasing appetizer with a mix of charcuterie, Italian pickles, olives, semi-hard cheese, and a bright and peppery Dijon vinaigrette.
Antipasto salad is an appetizer-meets-salad situation with so many talents. First and foremost it’s a sure hit!
Everyone loves antipasto, from skewers, sandwiches, platters—you name it. It’s hard to top the perfect combination of savory Italian charcuterie, fresh tomatoes, crisp and spicy pickles, briny olives, tangy artichoke hearts, and creamy cheeses.
Second, the simple Italian salad gives you so much vibrant flavor, color, and texture and you barely have to do anything—it’s mostly just opening a few jars and whisking together an easy Dijon vinaigrette. And you can make everything the night before, so it’s perfect for dinner parties or quick and healthy lunches.
It’s no wonder everyone seemingly has their own antipasto board. And while many load theirs with tons of meat, my antipasto salad recipe takes a lighter touch. There’s just enough meat to allow the delicious marinated vegetables to shine, which is the perfect balance in my opinion. It’s a flavor party in every bite!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Antipasto Salad
This recipe uses simple pantry staples and ingredients that are easy to find at just about any grocery store. You’ll need:
- Dijon Vinaigrette: I use my go-to Dijon vinaigrette recipe with Champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar or lemon juice), Dijon mustard, shallot, kosher salt, black pepper, and high quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Cured meat: Salami and mini pepperoni bring just the right amount of peppery, savory flavor without overpowering. I also like their springy texture and small size, but any cured meat you like will work well here, like Prosciutto, Coppa, or Bresaola to name a few. (For a vegetarian version of this salad, you can leave out the meat or check out my Big Easy Italian Salad.)
- Olives: The mix of buttery Castelvetrano and bold-tangy Kalamata olives is a perfect balance for me—it’s the same combo I use in my olive tapenade. You can swap in any whole olive variety that speaks to you.
- Giardiniera: If you have homemade giardiniera on hand by all means use it! A good store bought jar is great though too. I prefer mild, but if you’re a spice person feel free to add the extra heat.
- Greens: Many antipasto salad recipes don’t include greens but I like a bit of crunch and freshness. I use a combination of romaine and spring greens, but you can leave them off or substitute with any crisp, mild salad green like little gems or butter lettuce.
- Tomatoes: Keeping everything small makes for a perfect bite, so halved cherry tomatoes work best. You can use any small variety that stays firm when ripe, like grape or quartered Roma or campari.
- Marinated artichoke hearts: It wouldn’t be antipasto without tangy artichoke hearts! I like the slight herbal note of the marinated jars, but any preserved artichokes you have on hand works.
- Cheese: Provolone and baby mozzarella or ciliegine add creamy richness to complement the bolder flavors without competing. Any semi-hard whole blocks of cheese you like, such as cheddar or gouda, would also work well.
How to Make Antipasto Salad
This recipe is essentially three steps: make the dressing, mix everything together, then dress the salad and serve. Here’s how it’s done:
- Make the Dijon Vinaigrette. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar, 1 to 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon minced shallot. Add 1/2 tablespoon water, season with a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each) and whisk to combine. Continue whisking as you drizzle in 1/2 cup of olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Set aside for now.
- Prepare the fixings. Grab a big serving platter or bowl and add the ingredients as you prep them. Start with 3 cup’s worth of chopped romaine hearts and/or spring greens. Halve 1 cup of cherry tomatoes. Cube 6 ounces of provolone cheese and 8 ounces of salami.
- Mix. To the bowl, add 1/2 cup each of pitted Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and mini pepperoni. Add 1 cup each of giardiniera, quartered artichoke hearts, and baby mozzarella balls. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
- Dress. Just before serving, pour about half the dressing over the salad and give everything a good toss to coat. Taste and add more dressing if you’d like (cover and store any remaining dressing for up to 1 week). Serve immediately.
What to Serve with Antipasto Salad
Antipasto salad is a year-round hit. It’s one of those salads you can make over and over again and no one will complain. It’s a heartier meat and cheese-filled salad, so I like it best with Italian-style vegetarian dishes alongside. Roasted acorn squash, sheet pan gnocchi with roasted vegetables, ribollita (Tuscan white bean soup) and stuffed portobello mushrooms all come to mind.
If dessert is on the menu, finish the meal with Italian favorites like Cioccolato Caldo (hot chocolate), Torta Di Carote (carrot cake), or cannoli.
You’ll Also Like: Amazing Antipasto!
Appetizer and Mezze
Easy Antipasto Skewers
Italian
Antipasto Platter
Italian
Antipasto Chicken Sandwich
Appetizer and Mezze
How to Make the BEST Cheese Board: A Complete Guide
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
Save When You Bundle Our Best-Selling Olive Oil Collection!
Four signature extra virgin olive oils designed for everyday use.
Antipasto Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped hearts of romaine or spring greens (I like mixing a bit of both)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives or black olives
- 1 cup mild Giardiniera
- 1 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini
- 6 ounces Provolone cheese, cubed
- 1 cup baby mozzarella balls or Ciliegine
- 8 ounces salami, cubed
- 1/2 cup mini pepperoni
- Dijon Vinaigrette, about 1/4 cup or more to taste
Instructions
- Mix. In a large serving bowl or platter, combine the lettuce and/or spring greens, tomatoes, olives, giardiniera, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, provolone cheese, mozzarella, salami, and mini pepperoni. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve (up to 1 day).
- Dress. Just before serving, pour about half of the vinaigrette all over the salad and toss. Taste and add more vinaigrette if needed, then serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- If you’d like to make this salad a bit more showy, you can serve it as a composed salad–think Niçoise Salad-style. Use the lettuce as a bed and build everything else in groups, then pour the dressing over top and don’t toss.
- Have leftovers? Use to make Antipasto Skewers or an Antipasto Chicken Sandwich (you can tweak the recipes according to what you have).
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
I find your recipes some what contradicting. There is NO sugar and NO processed foods in the Mediterranean Diet. So this has all of the above amongst so many of your other recipes. Why?
Hi, T! Happy to help with your concerns. We are a Mediterranean food website. We have many recipes are specifically Mediterranean Diet related. You can read more about it and find more resources about The Mediterranean Diet here, and you can find a complete list of Mediterranean Diet recipes here. We also feature modern takes on cultural Mediterranean recipes as well as traditional Mediterranean recipes. There many countries and islands that surround the Mediterranean Sea and each has recipes and traditions unique to its region — sometimes that includes cured meats, sugar or butter. One of the key tenets of the Mediterranean Diet is moderation. So a sweet treat every now and then is allowed. I hope that helps answer your question.
I made this dish along with Vegetarian baked ziti for Christmas Eve dinner. This was the first time I varied from a more traditional New England theme with great success judging from my guests’ reactions.
The best part of this recipe is that it is flexible and expandable. I followed the recipe ingredients but added more Provolone, artichokes, and salami (my favorites). I would strongly suggest using the Dijon vinaigrette; the dressing was incredible.
yummy and delicious
Thanks so much!
hOW FAR AHEAD CAN i MAKE THIS SALAD FOR A PARTY? THANK YOU
Hi, Diane. You can make this salad and the dressing 3-4 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just leave the dressing off until ready to serve. Enjoy!
This is just what I have been looking for. I am attending an event for “Easy Christmas Recipe” ideas to share. This is perfect. Thank you!
You are very welcome, Jane! Happy to help :).