Italian Deli Chopped Chicken Salad (Printer-friendly)

Hearty Italian salad with chicken, salami, provolone, and pepperoncini tossed in herb-packed vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
02 - 3 ounces Italian salami, chopped
03 - 3 ounces provolone cheese, diced

→ Vegetables

04 - 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
08 - 1/2 cup cucumber, diced

→ Dressing

09 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 garlic clove, minced
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
15 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
17 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine chopped romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, finely chopped red onion, sliced pepperoncini, and diced cucumber.
03 - Add the chopped chicken, salami, and diced provolone cheese to the bowl with vegetables.
04 - Drizzle the prepared dressing evenly over all salad ingredients.
05 - Using salad tongs, toss all components together until evenly coated with dressing.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
07 - Transfer to serving plates immediately and garnish with extra pepperoncini or fresh herbs if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of salty salami and creamy provolone creates that perfect Italian deli counter balance you crave
  • Everything gets chopped into bite sized pieces so every forkful has all the flavors
  • The dressing comes together in minutes but tastes like it marinated overnight
02 -
  • The salad gets soggy quickly once dressed, so only dress what you will eat immediately
  • Chopping everything into similar sizes is the secret to getting all flavors in every single bite
  • The dressing tastes better after sitting for 10 minutes, so make it first before prepping your ingredients
03 -
  • Let the dressed salad sit for 5 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld together
  • Invest in a good pair of salad tongs because tossing by hand just does not distribute the dressing evenly
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