Italian Chopped Salad (CPK Copycat)

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 to 2 heads (4 cups) romaine lettuce (see note 1)

15 ounces chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)

1/2 cup red onion (very thinly sliced)

1 cup (4 ounces) chopped salami

1/2 cup chopped ham

1 cup (5 ounces) mozzarella cheese pearls (halved)

1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers

10 to 12 large fresh basil leaves (thinly sliced)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

Make Dressing

Combine all dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth mason jar. Season to taste (I add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper). Shake well and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Prepare Lettuce

Wash lettuce. Ensure lettuce is completely dry using a salad spinner. Cut into ribbons (roll up pieces into cigars and very thinly slice), then halve the ribbons.

Combine lettuce, chickpeas, tomatoes, red onion, salami, ham, mozzarella, pepperoncini, and chiffonade basil (see note 2). Toss to combine.

Serve

Shake dressing again before using. Only add dressing to the portion you’ll eat immediately (see note 3). Enjoy promptly—this salad doesn’t sit well once dressed.

Nutrition

• Calories: 313 kcal
• Total Fat: 18.1 g
• Cholesterol: 35.1 mg
• Sodium: 376.5 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 18.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.6 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 21.2 g