This vegan Italian chopped salad is light, refreshing and a perfect easy side dish! With a delicious dijon herb vinaigrette, it's packed with flavor, acidity and texture. Great paired with pizza, pasta or any other carb-heavy dinner.

close up overhead view of vegan italian chopped salad in large wood salad bowl.

Why we love this recipe

Light and refreshing: so many fresh, delicious ingredients, this chopped salad is perfectly balanced.
Lots of texture: I love that this salad incorporates crunchy lettuce, chopped veggies, spicy pepperoncini, creamy cheese, sharp red onion, salty olives and a creamy, acidic vinaigrette.
Perfect side salad: this salad isn't quite filling enough for a main meal, but it's wonderful as a side dish or appetizer for just about any meal!
Vegan (or vegetarian) friendly: most Italian chopped salad recipes are made with salami and cheese. Ours is still fantastic without the meat, and we use vegan cubed cheese as a delicious alternative.
Versatile vinaigrette: this flavorful, perfectly balanced Italian vinaigrette is made with dijon, white wine vinegar, olive oil and dried herbs. It's great in SO many different salads or as a marinade for proteins and/or vegetables!

overhead view of vegan italian chopped salad in bowls on wood platter.

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this vegan Italian chopped salad:

Ingredient Notes

Lettuce: we used romaine here, which is pretty traditional in this recipe. However, you could also use another leafy green lettuce like butterhead, bibb or iceberg lettuce. If you'd like, you could also add in some radicchio for a bit of color and bite.
Onion: not a fan of raw red onion? (Same here.) A few options: leave it out altogether, sub with pickled onion, or rinse the sliced onion in super hot water for 30 seconds to remove some of the bite.
Tomatoes: you can use roma tomatoes (we typically remove the seeds so it doesn't make the salad soggy) or halved cherry tomatoes for extra sweetness.
Olives: we use Mission black olives, which are mild and sweet. You could also sub with kalamata olives or (my favorite) Castelvetrano olives.
Pepperoncini peppers: these Italian chili peppers add a bright, acidic, spicy note to the salad. You can sub 1:1 for milder banana peppers, or if you don't want any spice, use marinated artichokes instead.
Croutons: optional, but we love the crunch and heartiness they add to this salad! You could also use crispy chickpeas.
Cheese: if you're not vegan, cubed provolone, shaved parmesan or mini mozzarella balls are all good options. For a vegan option, look for a block of vegan cheese, which is perfect for slicing into cubes! Violife and Daiya both have great options.

Step-by-step instructions

Vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients for vinaigrette and set aside.

You can also add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, seal and shake vigorously to combine. This is my favorite method if I want to make extra and save some for marinades/leftovers!

before and after whisking together italian dijon herb vinaigrette.

Wash romaine and pat dry (or use a salad spinner) to remove as much moisture as possible. (Nothing ruins a salad like wet lettuce!)

Prep all salad ingredients and add to a large mixing bowl. Add everything except for croutons and toss in dressing until well coated.

Depending on your preferences, you may not want to add all of the vinaigrette at once. Add a little bit at a time until you think it's well coated. (I personally prefer adding all of it – so delicious!)

Top with croutons and enjoy!

Expert Tips & FAQs

For extra plant-based protein and fiber, add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to this salad. It also makes this a more filling meal! You could also use white beans.
Storage: you can store the salad without dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Once you toss in dressing, it will get soggy within a few hours, so we don't suggest assembling until you're ready to eat.
For extra fresh herby flavor, you could also add in a handful of torn or chopped fresh basil!

Serving suggestions

This vegan italian chopped salad is PERFECT for serving alongside pizza, pasta, grilled proteins, or any other carb-heavy Italian-inspired recipes you love to make. Here are a few of our favorite pairings: