Elevate pizza night with this easy Chopped Italian Salad, made with fresh veggies and a homemade vinaigrette. The perfect side to any slice!

I’ve teamed up with Dandy® to share today’s salad recipe. I love to use their romaine lettuce for extra crunch and flavor.

I love pizza night, but I absolutely need a side salad to go with my pizza; a little fiber to fill up before going in on a slice. And truth be told, I’m generally disappointed with takeout salads from a local pizza spot or chain. Like why do I want to pay $14 for limp veggies and minimal toppings when I can make something way more flavorful at home for much less?

This simple Chopped Italian Salad is easy to make and goes with any pizza you make! I love it with my Pesto Caprese Pizza or Sausage and Ricotta Naan Bread Pizza.

If you need appetizer ideas for pizza night, save my Prosciutto and Mozzarella Skewers, Spanakopita Bites or Caprese Burrata for next time.

ingredients for this salad

Most Italian chopped salads have meat and cheese and veggies, but this version is loaded up with veggies and optional Parmesan cheese making it vegetarian/vegan friendly. Plus I personally love a pizza with meat, so I don’t always want meat in my chopped salad as well. Feel free to customize how you like.

romaine lettuce: the base for the salad. Dandy® romaine gives main character energy.
radicchio: a more bitter lettuce commonly in Italian salads. Love the balance with our romaine.
grape or cherry tomatoes. perfect little bit of acidity to balance out both lettuces.
cucumber: a seedless cuke or mini-Persian for extra crunch.
red onion: has some bite but also a tad sweet which compliments this salad.
olives: a briny flavor that’s perfect in any Italian salad. I am using Castelvetrano, but you can use Kalamata or Spanish olives as well.
Parmesan cheese: nutty and delicious! optional if you’re dairy-free.
pepperoncini peppers: an optional garnish for a little bit of heat.

ingredients for red wine vinaigrette

This homemade vinaigrette takes no time at all. You can also use a balsamic vinaigrette instead or store-bought Italian dressing in a pinch.

extra-virgin olive oil: the base for your homemade dressing.
red wine vinegar: the vinegar in this vinaigrette.
Dijon mustard: adds a touch of creamy. I love adding dijon to many homemade dressings.
honey: optional but adds a little bit of sweet.
dried spices: oregano, garlic, salt and pepper for flavor.

can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes! It’s easy to assemble this salad in advance. You can wash and prep all your veggies and assemble in a large bowl and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Just make sure to wait to toss in dressing until it’s time to eat to avoid soggy veggies.

You can also make the red wine vinaigrette in advance and store in the fridge. Make sure to let come to room temperature 30 minutes before serving and give it a good shake before pouring over salad.

How to make this salad more filling

I really love this as a side salad for pizza night, but it’s SO flavorful that I understand if you’d like to make it a complete meal instead of a side.

Quick ways to add to this salad and fill it up:

chicken: you could marinate chicken breast in Italian dressing and grill, or use a rotisserie chicken and shred.
beans: garbanzo (chickpeas) beans or cannellini beans would beef this up while keeping it vegetarian.
pasta: You could easily turn this into a pasta salad with Ditalini, orzo or orecchiette.
Italian meats: thick slices of salami or pepperoni would add to the Italian flavor.

more salad recipes to try