This blog post and recipe is sponsored by Olli Salumeria.

This grilled Italian chopped salad recipe is the perfect summer meal! It’s a hearty salad, but still light, refreshing, and absolutely packed with flavor. The grilled romaine lettuce adds a smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the grilled peppers and artichokes, and the bright and salty feta cheese adds a touch of Mediterranean flair, while the fresh basil and crunchy pita chips add an herbaceous note and plenty of crunch.

A large mixing bowl full of grilled chopped salad with a package of olli salumeria on the left and a cutting board with salami on the right. A small bowl of dressing sits nearby.

But let’s talk about the real stars of this great salad: Olli Salumeria Pepperoni, Toscano, and Sopressata Salami. Italian meats totally make this salad, so I hand-picked these three different salami specifically to pair with the grilled ingredients in this hearty Italian chopped salad. I am absolutely in love with how well the flavors all blend together. Needless to say, I am really excited to partner with Olli Salumeria to bring you this recipe! They create an incredible variety of Italian Dry-Cured Meats, all of which I thoroughly enjoy, but I felt these three pre-sliced salami were absolutely perfect to toss with a grilled chopped salad.

Ingredients

1 head Romaine Lettuce, washed + cut in half lenthwise
1 small Orange Bell Pepper, cut in half
1/2 small Red Onion, sliced into rings
1 cup Quartered Artichoke Hearts, drained
1/2 cup chopped Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1 oz. Olli Salumeria Pepperoni Pre-Sliced Salami, diced
1 oz. Olli Salumeria Toscano Pre-Sliced Salami, diced
1 oz. Olli Salumeria Sopressata Pre-Sclied Salami, diced
1/4 cup crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 cup chopped Fresh Basil
1/3 cup Pita Chips
Creamy Italian Dressing, recipe follows

Creamy Italian Dressing Ingredients

3 tbsp. Mayonnaise, good quality
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
Pinch of Salt + Cracked Black Pepper

A large mixing bowl full of grilled chopped salad with creamy Italian dressing drizzled over the top. A small bowl of dressing and feta rest nearby.

You are welcome to use store-bought Italian dressing, but the creamy, homemade Italian vinaigrette is really, really good! It’s a little tangy from the red wine vinegar, super creamy thanks to the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, and rounded out with a hit of freshness from the lemon juice. It comes together in just a couple of minutes, and is totally worth it.

I love that this chopped salad is super unique in a couple of ways: first, we grill the romaine lettuce, orange bell pepper, red onion, and artichoke hearts before chopping them into a uniform size and tossing them with the other ingredients. Secondly, it uses those three different flavors of salami, which absolutely pack this salad with a ton of flavor. Just so you know what’s in store, here is a quick breakdown of the Olli Salumeria Pre-Sliced Salami we’re using:

Three varieties of packaged salame from Olli Salumeria lay on a flat surface.

Olli Pre-Sliced Sopressata

Sopressata is a robust salami flavored with whole black peppercorn and garlic. It has SO much flavor, and contributes a little spice to our grilled chopped salad. I’m a big fan of Sopressata in general, and this one from Olli is easily one of my favorites.

Olli Pre-Sliced Toscano

I was really intrigued by the flavor notes in this salami. This Toscano is seasoned with fennel pollen which conveys a slight, licorice-like aroma. It’s so deliciously interesting, and adds an entirely new depth of flavor to our salad!

Olli Pre-Sliced Uncured Pepperoni

You can’t go wrong with the American classic. I love pepperoni in salads (like in my other recent chopped salad recipe!), because it adds a little spiciness and tons of flavor. This particular pepperoni is uncured, and there are no nitrites or nitrates added.

Actually, Olli Salumeria uses only pork that is vegetarian fed and raised without any antibiotics, ever. Their salami is different in the best way; it’s made using an old world Italian approach, and aims to create an experience to recreate what a person would eat in Italy. As a VERY big fan of everything Italian, I’ll tell you that the difference is real. This salami has a fresher, sweeter taste than those found here in the States, and the attention to detail, quality, and patience really shines through.

Now let’s make the best Grilled Italian Chopped Salad out there. 🙂

A large glass mixing bowl full of chopped Italian salad with olli salumeria packaging, a small bowl of dressing, and cutting board with salami rest nearby.

Directions

For the Homemade Italian Dressing

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until creamy and smooth. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. We do this first so the flavors have some time to blend together while we make the salad.

For the Chopped Salad

Step 1: Cut the romaine in half lengthwise, and set aside. Remove the stem and seeds from the orange bell pepper, and cut the pepper into quarters. Cut the red onion into 1/2″ thick rings.

A portion of grilled romaine lettuce rests on a grill pan and is being held by tongs.

Step 2: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the cut side of the romaine lettuce with avocado or olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Grill the romaine for 2-4 minutes per side until char marks appear. Transfer to a cutting board.

A bowl full of charred bell pepper, onions, and artichokes.

Step 3: Drizzle the same grill pan with another tablespoon of oil. Grill the quartered bell pepper, onion rings, and quartered artichoke hearts for 4-5 minutes per side until softened and charred. Transfer to the cutting board with the romaine lettuce and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Grilled romaine lettuce being cut with a knife on a white cutting board. Other grilled vegetables are nearby.

Grilled chopped vegetables rest on a cutting board.

Step 4: Cut the stem end off of the lettuce, then chop the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Dice the orange bell pepper, onion rings, and artichoke hearts into roughly uniform size (ideally 1/2″ pieces). (A sharp, good knife makes this go much faster!)

A large mixing bowl full of chopped romaine, bell pepper, onion, and artichoke.

A large mixing bowl full of grilled chopped salad ingredients with cherry tomatoes being added from a small bowl.

Step 5: Drizzle half of the dressing into the bottom of a large bowl. Transfer the chopped romaine, diced bell peppers, onion, and artichokes to the bowl, followed by the diced Pepperoni, Toscano, Sopressata, and quartered cherry tomatoes. Toss to combine.

A large mixing bowl of chopped salad ingredints a with salmi packaging, pita chips, dressing, and feta nearby.

A large mixing bowl full of grilled chopped salad ingreidnets topped with crunchy pita chips. Small bowls of other ingredients rest nearby.

Step 6: Add the remaining dressing, crumbled feta, chopped basil, and half of the crumbled pita chips. Toss to combine a final time.

A large mixing bowl full of grilled chopped salad ingredients tossed with a creamy Italian dressing. A small bowl of pita chips and dressing are nearby.

Step 7: Serve with additional crumbled pita chips on top, and enjoy!

I think you’re really going to love all of the flavor and goodness that is packed into this Italian salad. It can be a great side dish or main dish!

Grilled vegetables are sometimes overlooked as a really delicious ingredient option, but this salad certainly doesn’t skimp on them. They can be grilled on an outdoor grill, too! Just be careful with the artichoke hearts; they can sometimes get lost because they’re pretty small.

If you would like to make this Italian chopped salad recipe into a side dish, it will make about 4-6 servings. I love it as a main dish, which makes a generous 2-3 servings! It’s SUCH a delicious salad that I find it hard to stop eating it once I start, so it usually ends up being my entire lunch or dinner. 🙂

How to Store Italian Chopped Salad

Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I recommend storing the Italian dressing separately, then tossing the chopped salad ingredients with the dressing just before serving. (The dressing can be stored for up to a week, and actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have a chance to blend together.)

Chopped salad recipes are a great way to add nutrition and flavor to your meal prep recipes roundups, too. Just add the ingredients (without the creamy Italian dressing) to a mason jar or large glass jar, and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat it. Add the salad dressing separately right before eating, seal the jar, shake to combine the dressing with the chopped salad ingredients, and you’re set!

Quick note: if this is your first time making chopped salad, a sharp knife makes a BIG difference! Definitely sharpen your knife before tackling all of that chopping!

More Salad Recipes

You can use this link to find Olli products near you, or have them shipped directly to your door. 🙂 The Italian meats are one of my favorite things about this salad, and they’re definitely worth checking out!

If you make this Grilled Italian Chopped Salad and love it, I would love it if you left a rating and comment below! And if you have questions about any of the ingredients or the process, feel free to shoot me an email so I can get back to you ASAP. Tag me on Instagram if you post it, too!

xx Sara