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After enjoying heavy (but delicious) Sunday dinners, I usually try to serve at least one main-dish salad for dinner on a weekday. This salad is so satisfying that I usually wind up serving it twice in one week. The best description for this salad is Italian antipasto platter meets American Cobb Salad. Served with some warm, crusty bread, it is a filling meal. It has meats, cheeses, veggies, and greens, and it is dressed with a positively delectable vinaigrette that you will wind up dipping your bread into– it is that good.
See my Kitchen Tip HERE on how to shred chicken the easy way!
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Antipasto Chopped Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette (makes about 2 cups)
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 bunch basil, thinly sliced/chiffonade
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce, julienned
- 5 ounces dry Italian salame, julienned
- 1 cup julienned aged provolone cheese
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup English cucumbers, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Vinaigrette
- In a blender, combine the vinegar, shallots, garlic, mustard, and mayonnaise; process to combine. With the blender running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream to emulsify. The vinaigrette can be made and kept in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
For the Salad
- In a medium bowl, toss the shredded chicken and basil with ⅓ cup of the vinaigrette.
- Arrange the lettuce on each serving plate or on a large platter if serving family style. On top of the lettuce, arrange the chicken and basil mixture, salame, provolone, tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, and Parmesan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve, passing the remaining vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks delicious!
Gorgeous! Looks like a fabulous weekend lunch, too. So fresh and colorful.
I can see myself eating this delicious salad several times per week.
Looks great. How much and what kind of oil for the viniagrette? Many thanks
Anon-
Good catch– recipe edited.
Nicole- I just made this for dinner with a couple of adjustments to make it paleo. Replaced the cheeses with roasted butternut squash chunks and added avocado. I made the dressing with homemade mayo. Daves comment: "This is the best chopped salad I've ever had!" I agree! The dressing is exceptionally great with a surprise kick to it. And it was very filling. We will make this again and again. Awesome!
Pam-
So pleased you and Dave enjoyed it. I am glad you were able to put your "paleo" spin on it. Can't wait to try it with squash and avocado. Thanks for letting me know.
I just made the dressing for a holiday lunch tomorrow. I could eat it with a spoon!