18 Italian Salads to Fall in Love With

Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade
Photo:

© Greg DuPree

These Italian-inspired salads bring a rainbow of colors and big flavors, with a variety of produce from each season. We've got simple salads, like a three-ingredient chicken caprese and a shaved raw asparagus salad, and main course-worthy salads, such as giardiniera with ham and beans. We've included pasta salads and seafood salads, too. Whichever greens or combination of things you're craving, this collection of Italian salad recipes is a great place to start.

01 of 18

Warm Castelfranco with Vincotto and Blu di Bufala

Warm Castelfranco with Vincotto and Blu di Bufala
© Chris Court

This simple and magical combination of ingredients from chef Carlo Mirarchi includes Castelfranco (a mild radicchio), vincotto (aged vinegar), and the superb blue cheese blu di bufala. It's a very Italian dish, but Mirarchi gives it a personal imprint by adding fish sauce to the dressing.

02 of 18

Summer Farro Salad

Summer Farro Salad
© John Kernick

Chef Marco Canora says you can swap in any starch — like bread or pasta — for the farro in this recipe. Canora simmers farro in water with sautéed onion, carrots, and celery. The aromatic vegetables add delicate flavor to the cooked grains.

03 of 18

Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade

Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade

© Greg DuPree

Chef Nancy Silverton is an Italian cooking expert, getting the biggest flavor from the simplest ingredients. She does just that with this hearty salad, which combines crisp iceberg lettuce, milky mozzarella, spicy-tangy peperoncini, and salty olives and salami.  

04 of 18

Tomato, Haricots Verts, and Potato Salad

Tomato, Haricots Verts and Potato Salad
CON POULOS

This rustic Italian salad is a great way to showcase perfect, in-season produce. Swap out the summer tomatoes and green beans for roasted root vegetables and fennel in the winter, or asparagus and shaved artichokes in the spring — the possibilities are endless.

05 of 18

Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing

Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing
© John Kernick

Asparagus often makes wine taste vegetal. To counter that, chef Mark Ladner mixes shaved spears with a supremely wine-friendly ingredient: Parmesan.

06 of 18

Big Italian Salad

Big Italian Salad
© Quentin Bacon

Part green salad, part antipasto salad, this recipe combines lettuce, celery, onion, peperoncini, olives, and cherry tomatoes — all tossed in a dressing made with olive oil, vinegar, and a little mayonnaise.

07 of 18

Crunchy Vegetable Salad with Ricotta Crostini

Crunchy Vegetable Salad with Ricotta Crostini
© Stephanie Foley

Chef Michael White's fennel-asparagus salad uses a variety of herbs, including chervil and lemon balm, but it's equally delightful here made with just basil and tarragon.

08 of 18

Giardiniera with Ham and White Beans

Giardiniera with Ham and White Beans
© Stephanie Foley

This recipe is a nod to the pickled vegetables (giardiniera) in a Gramercy Tavern salad. Former F&W editor Grace Parisi quickly soaks baby cauliflower in vinegar and sugar, then combines it with snap peas, white beans, ham, and sunflower seeds to create a unique main-course dish.

09 of 18

Serrano Ham and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Salsa

Serrano Ham and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Salsa
© John Kernick

This vibrant winter recipe, layered with arugula, bright white slices of ricotta salata, and strips of salty serrano ham, is the sort of composed salad that chef Suzanne Goin uses to showcase seasonal ingredients.

10 of 18

Spring Peas and Greens with Cacio e Pepe Dressing

Spring Peas and Greens with Cacio e Pepe Dressing
© Johnny Miller

Inspired by cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), the classic Italian pasta sauce, this salad features spring greens and fava beans topped with a delicious buttermilk dressing.

11 of 18

Lemony Chickpea Salad

Lemony Chickpea Salad
© Brian Doben

Serve chef Tom Colicchio's fresh-tasting chickpea salad with warm, soft pita bread to soak up the olive oil dressing.

12 of 18

Chicken Caprese Salad

Chicken Caprese Salad
© Con Poulos

Bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) are often sold floating in herbed olive oil. That tasty oil is essential to this three-ingredient recipe because it adds so much flavor to both the chicken marinade and the dressing.

13 of 18

Warm Puttanesca Pasta Salad

Warm Puttanesca Pasta Salad
Victor Protasio

Most tomato varieties are at their peak in the summer, but cherry tomatoes are reliably good all year. Combine them with crispy prosciutto, fragrant herbs, anchovies, shallot, and olives for a vibrant pasta salad that's delicious warm or at room temperature. 

14 of 18

Insalata di Pesce

Insalata di Pesce
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Master Sommelier Pavle Milic gave us the inspiration for this seafood salad, which pairs beautifully with white wines. Quickly poaching the mixed seafood gently cooks each piece to perfect doneness for tender, flaky bites. Choose a favorite olive oil here; its flavor permeates the whole dish and adds a savory vegetal flavor.

15 of 18

Fennel and Citrus Salad with Mint

Fennel-and-Citrus Salad with Mint

© Con Poulos

For his light, simple salad, chef Matthew Accarrino of San Francisco's SPQR mixes grapefruit and orange segments with shaved fennel and a sweet-tart honey-lemon dressing.

16 of 18

Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella with Grated Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette

Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella
Victor Protasio

This summer blockbuster panzanella from Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, pairs oven-roasted sourdough croutons with juicy ripe tomatoes, raw red onion, and crisp cucumbers. Grated tomato adds a gentle acidity and chunky texture to the vinaigrette, helping it cling to every bite.  

17 of 18

Fregola with Charred Onions and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Fregola with Charred Onions and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
© Peden + Munk

Fregola is a bead-shaped pasta from Sardinia; it's nicely chewy and can be used as a phenomenal base for a summer salad. Chef Jeff Banker roasts cherry tomatoes in the oven before he adds them to the fregola, which makes them especially sweet. 

18 of 18

Pan-Seared Octopus with Italian Vegetable Salad

Pan-Seared Octopus with Italian Vegetable Salad
© Con Poulos

Chef Vinny Dotolo describes this salad's genesis: "I originally wanted to do an octopus sandwich, with the flavors of an Italian sub, but the bread got in the way." Now he sears the octopus, braises it in white wine until tender, and tosses it with chickpeas and a tangy mix of marinated carrots, fennel, and celery.

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