Let’s be honest: The best Italian salad is really a deconstructed hoagie. This version tastes suspiciously like a fully loaded sub, complete with two meats (salami and ham), two cheeses (Fontina and cute pearl mozzarella), and a zesty oregano and red wine vinegar dressing with big deli vibes. Iceberg lettuce is nonnegotiable, as it provides much-desired crunch and freshness even after it’s been sitting for a minute.
We sidelined pepperoncini peppers for the sweet bite of Peppadews and skipped over blah black olives in favor of Kalamatas, but what really sets this Italian salad recipe apart is the croutons. Soaked in olive oil and baked till crunchy, they drink up that vinaigrette so that each and every punchy bite is cloaked in Italian dressing. This is a side dish you could make a meal out of.
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What you’ll need
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
$32 At Amazon
Vegetable Peeler
$12 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$28 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. Tear ½ small loaf country-style bread into bite-size pieces (you should have about 5 cups). Toss on a rimmed baking sheet with 3 Tbsp. olive oil; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 14–16 minutes. Let croutons cool.
Step 2
Meanwhile, shave 2 oz. Fontina or provolone cheese with a vegetable peeler or thinly slice into strips. Finely chop 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives and ½ cup drained Peppadew peppers in brine.
Step 3
Toss Fontina cheese, olives, Peppadew peppers, 1 very small head of iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, quartered if large, 10 oz. pearl mozzarella, drained, 7 oz. sliced deli ham, thinly sliced into strips, 4 oz. sliced salami, thinly sliced into strips, and croutons in a large bowl to combine. Drizzle 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar and remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil over, then add 1 tsp. dried oregano and season with salt and black pepper. Toss again to coat. Taste salad and add more oregano if needed.
Step 4
Divide salad among plates and season with more pepper.
