Best Lindas Italian Salad With Spicy Italian Dressing Recipes

BIG ITALIAN SALAD

Big Italian Salad image

This Italian salad pairs nicely with Italian comfort food. You'll love the homemade dressing!

Provided by Jennifer Segal

Categories Salads

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

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

SPICY ITALIAN SALAD

Spicy Italian Salad image

Requests for this salad are never ending at any gathering!!!

Provided by Diana

Categories Salad Vegetable Salad Recipes

Time 4h30m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

½ cup canola oil
⅓ cup tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
5 cups romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 carrot, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup black olives
¼ cup pitted green olives
½ cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

In a medium container with a lid, mix canola oil, tarragon vinegar, sugar, thyme, dry mustard, and garlic. Cover, and shake until well blended. Place artichoke hearts into the mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 4 hours, or overnight.
In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, red bell pepper, carrot, red onion, black olives, green olives, cucumber, and Romano cheese. Season with pepper. Pour in the artichoke and marinade mixture, and toss to coat.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 248.1 calories, Carbohydrate 13.2 g, Cholesterol 2.6 mg, Fat 21.1 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 3.6 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Sodium 462.2 mg, Sugar 5.1 g

LINDA'S ITALIAN SALAD WITH SPICY ITALIAN DRESSING

Linda's Italian Salad With Spicy Italian Dressing image

This is one of my creations that I served with Chicken and Veal Marsala, Fettuccini Alfredo, and Italian Garlic Bread for a dinner I had with company last winter... It was a perfect salad to serve with my special Italian dinner!

Provided by Lindas Busy Kitchen

Categories Vegetable

Time 30m

Yield 8-12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

2 cups fresh spinach
3 cups red leaf lettuce, torn
1/2 head romaine lettuce, lg. stems removed, then torn
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium red onion, sliced, then each slice cut into thirds
2 (8 ounce) cans quartered artichokes, drained
6 pepperoncini peppers, cut in half
3 plum tomatoes, cut into slices, then cut in half
1 (14 ounce) can black olives, cut in half
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic and herbed croutons (optional)
parmigiano-reggiano cheese (optional)
1/2 cup canola oil, I used extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar, I used white
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, I used 2 teaspoons of dried my friend made
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced

Steps:

Salad:.
Add greens to a lg. salad bowl. Mix well.
Add peppers, onions, artichokes, pepperocini peppers, tomatoes and black olives. Mix well with salad forks or with your hands.
Season with salt and pepper.
Make dressing.
Makes 8 servings.
Dressing:.
Mix oil, vinegar, sugar, thyme, dry mustard and garlic together well in a bowl with a whisk.
Add to salad mix right before serving, and mix well with salad forks.
Add Parmigiano Reggiano, if using.
Top with croutons, and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 249.9, Fat 19.4, SaturatedFat 1.8, Sodium 1075, Carbohydrate 18.7, Fiber 7.3, Sugar 6.3, Protein 4.2

COPYCAT ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING

Copycat Italian Salad Dressing image

My family prefers the store brand of Italian dressing to any of the name brands. They all pretty much taste the same and have the same ingredients. This is a copycat of their dressing using mostly ingredients from the cabinet most people keep on hand or can find easily. The water makes it stretch a little further for those on a tight budget, but you might also like it without.

Provided by NWMama

Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Salad Dressing Recipes Italian Dressing

Time 27m

Yield 32

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

½ red bell pepper
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
¾ cup water
¾ cup white vinegar
¼ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion
¾ teaspoon salt

Steps:

Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add red bell pepper.
Roast red bell pepper under the broiler until slightly blackened, about 12 minutes. Transfer bell pepper to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove plastic wrap and peel skin from bell pepper.
Blend roasted red pepper, oil, water, vinegar, sugar, basil, lemon juice, minced onion, and salt in a blender until smooth.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 98.2 calories, Carbohydrate 2 g, Fat 10.2 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.1 g, SaturatedFat 1.6 g, Sodium 54.9 mg, Sugar 1.7 g