Best Big Italian Salad With Cold Cuts Recipes

Big Italian Salad image

Provided by Jennifer Segal

Categories Salads

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita
Heaping ¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons honey
1 large head romaine lettuce (or 3 hearts), washed, dried and cut into large, bite-sized pieces
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup seeded and chopped hothouse cucumbers
1 to 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
Handful grape tomatoes, halved
Handful pitted olives
Ricotta Salata (see note) or Feta, crumbled to taste

Steps:

Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.
Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese in a large bowl. Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland. Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Note: Ricotta salata is an Italian sheep's milk cheese that has a salty, slightly tangy flavor, almost like a dry Italian feta. It is not the same as the wet ricotta in the tub. You can find it at Whole Foods, gourmet grocers or specialty cheese shops.
Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming ½ cup of ricotta salata and all of the dressing was used.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 338, Fat 31 g, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 5 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Sugar 6 g, Fiber 5 g, Sodium 393 mg, Cholesterol 11 mg

Big Italian Salad with Cold Cuts image

Provided by Jet Tila

Categories main-dish

Time 20m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

2 cloves garlic (10 grams), grated
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 milliliters) red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) dried oregano
3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 romaine hearts, cored and chopped
1/2 small head radicchio--halved, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced on a mandoline or with a sharp knife
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline or with a sharp knife
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup pitted green olives
One 4-ounce wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
6 ounces thickly sliced salami, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Steps:

Make the dressing: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
Make the salad mix: Spin dry all the lettuces, celery, parsley, and onion in a salad spinner. Wrap in paper towels to dry thoroughly and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes and olives and transfer to a very large bowl. Shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler to yield 1 cup. Reserve some of the shaved cheese for garnish and add the remaining cheese to the bowl.
Remove the vegetables from the paper towels and add to the bowl. Season with fleur de sel. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Scatter the salami and reserved cheese over the top and serve immediately. Alternatively, prepare the salad mix and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Toss each serving with some of the dressing, as needed.