Antipasto Salad

Cool, refreshing and loaded with mouthwatering morsels, my antipasto salad makes for a terrific light meal or a bright side dish during the summer season. Prepared with an array of fresh juicy tomatoes, salami, artichokes, peppers, olives, fresh mozzarella, and red onions, this recipe comes complete with my zesty red wine vinaigrette and garlic crostini to bring all the flavors together!

A refreshingly zesty salad to whet the appetite with

While there's no definitive time of year to enjoy a hearty salad, there's no season quite like the summer season to toss together some refreshing bells and whistles with a zippy dressing, and call it a meal. Or, at the very least, a mighty tasty side dish.

The word “antipasto” translates to “before the meal” in Italian, and is meant to be a dish that serves to whet the appetite and get the juices flowing, readying the one partaking for the main course.

But when a salad is loaded up with lots of hearty, textured ingredients and an abundance of zesty flavor, then one can easily make that salad a light main course itself, just as well as a starter, or an accompaniment to richer foods about to be offered.

My antipasto salad is a cool and hearty salad that fits the bill for any occasion, packed with all sorts of savory, bright, and creamy morsels, each coming together for bite after mouthwatering bite of salad perfection.

It takes the classic ingredients often used in an antipasto platter, and gives them a fresh take by creating a healthy salad out of them, complete with a red wine vinaigrette to tie the flavors all together.

I personally love this salad as a stand alone meal or snack in the summer, but it's just heavenly when served before a nice pasta dish, or as a side to a hearty entree to offer up some nice balance.

My recipe for antipasto salad

Antipasto salad is a wonderfully colorful mosaic of flavor and texture, and really hits the spot when a hearty salad is what I'm craving.

The beauty of this salad is that calls for bite-size pieces of very flavorful ingredients such as fresh Campari tomato wedges, large pearls of fresh mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, whole, pitted Castelvetrano olives, slivers of red onions, roasted red or spicy pepper slices, and chunks or slices of savory and flavorful salami.

And nothing goes better with all of those delectable flavors than a zesty and bright red wine vinaigrette flavored with shallots, dried herbs and olive oil—so mouthwatering!

I also love to invite some light crunch to this antipasto salad party by slicing up a small baguette, brushing it with olive oil, and toasting it up until golden and crisp.

The crostini get lightly rubbed with a garlic clove for added flavor, making them the perfect vessels to scoop up this delicious salad with. One can also sub store-bought croutons for some added crunch, or serve without any bread at all, if preferred.

Here's a glance at my antipasto salad recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prep my red wine vinaigrette to have ready and on hand.
2. Then, I combine all of my antipasto salad ingredients (except for the basil, which will be a garnish), and then let everything chill for a while.
3. If making the garlic crostini, I make that next to have ready as an accompaniment.
4. When ready to serve, I add some of the vinaigrette, salt and pepper into the antipasto salad, gently toss with a spoon to combine well, then spoon the salad into a serving bowl or platter, and top with basil.
5. I serve the antipasto salad with the garlic crostini and extra vinaigrette on the side, as needed.

Recipe

Antipasto Salad

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This flavorful antipasto salad with red wine vinaigrette is brimming with lots savory morsels, with an accompaniment of garlic crostini!

Category: Salad
Cuisine: Italian

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 378 calories (per serving)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes (to toast crostini)
Total time: 30 minutes

Antipasto Salad Ingredients:

• 12 small Campari tomatoes (or 6 larger Roma tomatoes), quartered or cut into chunks
• 14 ounce jar artichoke hearts (marinated or packed in water), drained of liquid and patted dry, and halved or quartered
• 12 ounces fresh ciliegine mozzarella balls, patted dry and halved (or larger boules, cut into chunks)
• 6 ounces dry salami, quartered or cut into chunks
• ½ cup sliced red onion
• 1 ½ cups pitted, whole Castelvetrano olives (or other green olives)
• ¼ cup julienned or sliced roasted red peppers (or pepperoncini or spicy Calabrian red peppers), blotted dry
• ¼ cup julienned or torn fresh basil leaves

Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

Garlic Crostini Ingredients (optional):

• 1 (5 to 6 ounce) demi baguette, sliced thinly (between ¼ to ½ inch thick)
• Olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• Salt
• Black pepper

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your red wine vinaigrette ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To make the vinaigrette, add all ingredients (except for the olive oil) to the bowl of a food processor, and process for about 30 seconds or so until smooth. Then, with the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue processing for a minute or two until the vinaigrette is completely emulsified. Set the vinaigrette aside to have ready.
3. Next, gather and prep all of your antipasto salad ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
4. To make the salad, add all of the ingredients (except for the basil) to a large bowl, and set the salad into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to chill.
5. While the salad chills, gather and prep all of the garlic crostini ingredients (if making) according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
6. To make the crostini, set your oven to “broil”, and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the slices of baguette onto the baking sheet, and brush each with some olive oil. Then, toast the slices for a few moments per side (don't walk away so they don't burn), until golden-brown.
7. Once toasted, lightly rub the garlic clove over each crostini, then sprinkle lightly with salt. Set onto a serving platter or larger bowl.
8. To finish the antipasto salad, add about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette (or your desired amount) as well as a pinch of salt and pepper to the salad, and using large spoon, gently toss to combine well.
9. Finally, spoon into a serving bowl or onto a platter, sprinkle over the basil to garnish. and serve with the garlic crostini as an accompaniment, as well as extra vinaigrette on the side.

Tips & Tidbits for my antipasto salad recipe:

• Campari tomatoes or Roma for flavor: The small Campari tomatoes are among my favorite tomatoes to use in salads like this. They're firm yet sweet, tangy, and juicy. If you can't find them, feel free to use Roma tomatoes, or any other variety you like.
• Your favorite salami: Using a good Italian-style dry salami is absolutely delicious here. Feel free to use peppered, hot, herbed, or even plain, if desired. You can actually use any salami you like, whether it's pre-sliced in a package, or the whole salami. Just keep the pieces fairly bite-size, quarter the slices.
• Fresh, creamy mozzarella cheese: I'm opting for fresh mozzarella packed in brine here, because I love how delicate the texture and flavor is. I like using the smaller ciliegine mozzarella balls, or chunking up several larger boules. Just pat the fresh mozzarella dry of brine before adding it in. You can also sub provolone cheese, or even use shredded mozzarella for convenience.
• Make this antipasto salad ahead: If preparing this flavorful salad a day before you'd like to serve it, you can prep the salad as directed in the recipe, keep it chilled in the fridge, and covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Make the vinaigrette ahead as well (keep that chilled and allow to come to room temp if congealed). But prep the crostini just before serving to keep them crisp and fresh. Then, toss some of the vinaigrette with the salad before serving, and garnish with basil.

Craving more fresh, mouthwatering salad recipes? Check out my recipe for Italian Chickpea Salad, Panzanella Salad, Mexican Wedge Salad, Cucumber Salad, White Bean Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, or even my recipe for Pesto Pasta Salad!