Italian Chopped Salad

 Italian Chopped Salad

This vegan Italian chopped salad is light, refreshing and a perfect easy side dish! With a delicious dijon herb vinaigrette, it's packed with flavor, acidity and texture. Great paired with pizza, pasta or any other carb-heavy dinner. Ingredients Scale Salad: 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped  2 large roma tomatoes, diced (or one pint cherry tomatoes, halved)  1 1/2 cups diced cucumber cone #3 1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced cone #4 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini 1/2 cup black olives, sliced thinly cone #4 3/4 cup vegan cheese (shredded or cubed)* Croutons for topping Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp dijon mustard 1/2 tsp  sweet balsamic 1/2 tsp  salt 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Instructions Whisk together all ingredients for vinaigrette and set aside.  Wash romaine and pat dry (or use a salad spinner) to remove as much moisture as possible.  Prep all salad ingredients and add to a large mixing bowl. Add everything except for croutons and toss in dressing until well coated. Top with croutons and enjoy!  Notes Lettuce: feel free to sub romaine another leafy green lettuce like butterhead, bibb or iceberg lettuce. If you'd like, you could also add in some radicchio for a bit of color and bite.  Onion: not a fan of raw red onion? (Same here.) A few options: leave it out altogether, sub with pickled onion, or rinse the sliced onion in super hot water for 30 seconds to remove some of the bite.  Pepperoncini peppers: these Italian chili peppers add a bright, acidic, spicy note to the salad. You can sub 1:1 for milder banana peppers, or if you don't want any spice, use marinated artichokes instead.  Croutons: optional, but we love the crunch and heartiness they add to this salad! You could also use crispy chickpeas.  *Cheese: if you're not vegan, cubed provolone, shaved parmesan or mini mozzarella balls are all good options. For a vegan option, look for a block of vegan cheese, which is perfect for slicing into cubes or strips! Violife and Daiya both have great options.  For extra plant-based protein and fiber, add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to this salad. It also makes this a more filling meal! You could also use white beans. Storage: you can store the salad without dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Once you toss in dressing, it will get soggy within a few hours, so we don't suggest assembling until you're ready to eat.