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5 from 1 vote

My Big Fat Italian Salad

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, washed, dried and sliced into ribbons
  • 1 Roma tomatoes, cored and sliced, or grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if on the large size
  • ½ of a cucumber, sliced (and seeded if you want)
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Italian dressing as needed, recipe below

Optional add-ins:

  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup canned or marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
  • ¼ cup sliced black olives
  • ½ cup canned chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained
  • a few pepperoncini
  • ¼ cup diced pimento or red bell pepper
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • fresh herbs--basil, oregano, parsley, or a combination
  • 1 cup croutons (add after tossing with the dressing so they stay crisp)
  • ⅓ cup commercial French fried onions (add after tossing with the dressing so they stay crisp)

Instructions

  • To assemble the salad, put the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and your favorite optional vegetable toppings in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper and toss. Just before serving add dressing a little at a time and toss again. Repeat if needed until the salad is as dressed as you like. If you're not sure, err on the side of caution. You can always add more dressing, but you can't take it away. Top the salad (or individual salads) with any toppings that need to stay crunchy--croutons, fried onions, etc.--and serve.