Antipasto Salad

Antipasto.  The literal translation from Italian is “before the meal.”  In Italy antipasto can be any number of things served at the table before the main dishes:  cheeses, meats, olives, artichokes, marinated vegetables, fried or grilled vegetables, bruschetta, tapenade and crostini, or whatever.  Here on the Gulf Coast antipasto usually means a mix of Italian-y bite-sized things in an Italian vinaigrette. We eat it whenever we want. 

I especially love Antipasto Salad because it delivers big flavors, it lasts for days in the fridge, and you don’t have to heat it up.  It’s nice on a bed of greens, served simply with crusty bread, or alongside boiled shrimp or rotisserie chicken.   Antipasto Salad is also beautiful.  The cheeses and vegetables glistening with vinaigrette always remind me of jewels.

There is nothing hard about any of this.  You can use whatever combo of ingredients appeals to you.  Leave out anything you don’t like.  Use homemade dressing or a bottled one.  Use different meats or leave them out altogether.  Use a dozen ingredients or just a few.  I usually aim for seven or eight different things in the mix.

Here are things I like in Antipasto Salad:

Olives–any color

Artichoke hearts or bottoms

Hearts of palm

Cherry tomatoes

Roasted red peppers

Chickpeas or cannellini beans

Mushrooms, especially marinated mushrooms

Finely diced bell pepper

Chopped onion or scallions

Pepperoncini

Giardiniera 

Capers

Salami

Pepperoni

Mozzarella, fresh or cubed

Parmesan

Feta

Provolone

Cheese tortellini

Herbs, especially basil, oregano, and parsley

A simple red wine vinaigrette or Perfect Italian Dressing

Did somebody ask how to use leftovers?  I certainly hope you have leftovers!  A day with any amount of antipasto salad in the fridge is a good day!  Our favs are antipasto pasta salad, antipasto with cold leftover grilled steak, and crostini topped with ricotta and chopped antipasto salad.

Of course, scooping it straight out of the container at midnight with a sourdough bread butt is delicious, too.

Print Recipe

Antipasto Salad

Makes one quart

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• ¾ cup marinated artichoke hearts
• ¾ cup cubed mozzarella or mozzarella pearls
• ¾ cup salami, sliced or in cubes
• ¾ cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ⅓ cup sliced black olives
• ¼ cup Italian parsley
• ¼ cup thinly sliced pepperoncini
• optional additions: sliced hearts of palm, chopped roasted red peppers, cannellini beans, grated parmesan, crumbled feta, cubed provolone, etc.

Vinaigrette:

• You'll need ½-1 cup of dressing depending on whether you add anything. This recipe makes a cup, so start with less and add more as needed. any leftover dressing is fine on your counter for a few days, or in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
• ½ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 1 t. honey
• 2 pinches salt and a pinch of pepper

Instructions

• For the salad: combine all salad ingredients in a medium bowl.
• For the dressing: put all the dressing ingredients in a pint jar with a tight lid and shake very well to mix.
• Add half the dressing to the salad and toss gently until everything is mixed and dressed. Add more dressing as needed.