Antipasto Salad

Antipasto Salad is made with olives, chickpeas, green onions, vegan pepperoni and cheese. It has all the wonderful flavors and ingredients that you know and love from an Antipasto platter. To make it everything a lot of more filling, I add pasta and an olive oil dressing that everyone can’t get enough of. This can be dinner, lunch or even a potluck salad that comes together fast. You can make of course a bigger batch, because as it sits the flavors will be more delicious and prominent.

I love salads at any time, and for me it can be filling enough to make a weeknight meal. There are two components that makes a salad winner every time you make it:

1. Use ingredients that you actually like and that taste good to you. You know your family best and everyone has other preferences and likings. That my friends is the beauty of this Antipasto Salad recipe: you can add almost what whatever you like and want. I tested everything and for me that is truly the most delicious combo of ingredients, yet maybe there are other ingredients that you like. To switch feel free and do it. It will always taste great and amazing.
2. The dressing: If you know me a bit, you know the dressing in my gusto is what makes any salad better. Think of Thousand Island Dressing, Ranch Dressing, Catalina Dressing, or Italian Dressing. A dressing is always the magic trick to add lots of flavors. Wait for the olive dressing in our Antipasto Salad – it is going to be so delicious and wonderful.

Reasons to make this Antipasto Salad

Adding pasta is great, true. More substance and makes everything more filling, well rounded and a quick dinner. Also pasta goes great any and everything.

You will love all the delicious flavors from olives to chickpeas.

The dressing is a component that adds tons of flavors. So easy, yet impressive.

What you need for this Antipasto Salad Recipe

Pasta: I use penne and you can use whatever you want. However, penne is for me one of my favorite pasta and I like the shape. It really mixes so well with all the other ingredients.

Olives: You can use black or kalamata olives. Both are really delicious, yummy.

Vegan peperoni or salami: Use salami if you prefer milder, or peperoni for a little bit of heat.

Cheese: I use dairy free. Use mozzarella, cheddar or gouda they all taste great in the Antipasto Salad.

Olive oil adds a creamy and robust flavor. 

Vinegar: red or white vinegar it is with many things in life just a matter of taste, garlic: a classic in any dressing or dip, oregano and parsley for an amazing combination to finish up this salad dressing.

Chickpeas are great for texture and taste.

Finally, I use red bell peppers and green onions for an more intense flavor, a great sweet note and crunch.

How to make Antipasto Salad

Start prepare with the dressing for the Antipasto Salad: in a bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, parsley, a pinch salt and pepper. Combine and mix until you have a homogenous dressing.

Next, cook pasta according the package directions. Or do it my way like I often do: use leftover pasta. Saves time and the pasta is already done and perfectly cooled off.

Finally, in a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, pepperoni, cheese, olives, green onions, bell peppers and mix. Add dressing from the first step of your preparation and combine. Serve up on plates or bowls and refrigerate until using in the fridge.

Tips and tricks

Instead of pasta: You can use orzo like I do in my Orzo Salad, or couscous as in Couscous Salad.

Leftovers of the Antipasto Salad are great for around 4 days and you can prepare a bigger batch ahead of time the night before.

For the dressing: the combination of oregano and parsley is great, but I can imagine basil and chives or dill are also delicious.

Other salad recipes to try

• Avocado Salad
• Southern Potato Salad
• Tuna Salad
• Chicken Salad
• Chickpea Salad
• Brussels Sprouts Salad

For remakes of the Antipasto Salad, tag on Instagram or Facebook.

Enjoy, Florian.