If you love a good flavorful Italian salad that is loaded with all sorts of goodness, this is the salad for you. This Italian salad is simple but made with delicious, classic Italian ingredients and the tangy creamy Parmesan dressing will make sure everyone will eat their veggies.
This is my family's Italian salad recipe. It is definitely an Italian-American style salad and very similar to ones that you can find in old Italian restaurants in the U.S.
It starts with the classic iceberg lettuce then banana peppers, sunflower seeds and tomatoes are added for flavor and texture. My favorite part about this salad is the tangy Parmesan dressing. It is so good.
I make this as a side dish but I also loves piling this on top of Italian subs for the BEST sandwich ever.
What You Will Need
- Iceberg lettuce: This is the base and it adds crunch.
- Tomatoes
- Banana pepper rings: I buy the mild ones.
- Sunflower Seeds: I prefer roasted and salted sunflower seeds for their nutty flavor.
Tangy Parmesan Dressing
- Parmesan cheese: you can also use Pecorino Romano
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- A touch of mayonnaise and yellow mustard: This acts as the emulsifier so the dressing stays together.
How To Make A Classic Italian Salad
This salad is very easy. You just want to make sure to thinly slice the lettuce then add that and the tomatoes, banana peppers and sunflower seeds to a large bowl.
Once the salad is ready in the bowl, add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a medium bowl and whisk well until it all comes together. If it is too tangy, just add a pinch of sugar 🙂
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Add the dressing right before serving: Since this salad is made with iceberg lettuce, it can get mushy very fast. I like to assemble the salad portion ahead of time then add the dressing right before I am ready to eat it.
- Make a meal out of it: You can add Italian cold cuts like Genoa salami, provolone or mozzarella to make it more substantial.
- Use it as a topping for your Italian subs! It is so delicious.
- Add a pinch of sugar: If you like a slightly sweeter or less tangy dressing, add about ¼ teaspoon of sugar to the dressing.
- Change up the dressing: I make a sherry shallot dressing and like to use that sometimes with this salad to change things up. It is less creamy with a different flavor profile but really good.
Storing
If you have already dressed the salad with the dressing, I do not advise saving it since the iceberg lettuce will soften too much. You can make the salad and the dressing ahead of time and store those separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you are ready to eat it, toss the dressing with the salad.
What To Serve With This Italian Salad
Quick And Easy Classic Italian Salad
Ingredients
- ½ head Iceberg lettuce
- 2 Tomatoes quartered
- ½ cup Banana pepper rings
- ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds
Tangy Parmesan Dressing
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and pepper or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- ½ tablespoon Yellow mustard
Instructions
- Thinly slice the lettuce then add that to a large bowl.½ head Iceberg lettuce
- Now add the tomatoes, banana peppers and sunflower seeds to the bowl.2 Tomatoes, ½ cup Banana pepper rings, ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds
- In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk well.½ cup Parmesan cheese, 4 tablespoon Red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon Olive oil, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise , ½ tablespoon Yellow mustard
- Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
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