Vegan Italian Chopped Salad

vegan, whole food plant-based, easy, healthy, oil-free

This is the kind of salad that reminds you why Italian chopped salads became iconic in the first place; big, bold, briny, crunchy, and unapologetically satisfying. Crisp romaine and jewel-toned veggies meet chickpeas for substance, while a zippy, oil-free Italian dressing pulls everything together with tang, herbs, and a subtle savory depth. Thanks to aquafaba and Dijon, the dressing is creamy without the oil, rich without the heaviness, and bright enough to wake up every bite. It’s proof that “light” can still mean loud on flavor.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Servings: servings

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Hannah Kaminsky

Ingredients

Oil Free Italian Dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup aquafaba
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Italian Chopped Salad

2 medium heads romaine lettuce chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 small red onion quartered and thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup pepperoncini rinsed, thoroughly drained and sliced
1/2 cup pitted and sliced black olives rinsed and thoroughly drained
14.5 ounces chickpeas rinsed and thoroughly drained

Instructions

To make the dressing, add the red wine vinegar, aquafaba, mustard, Italian seasoning, maple syrup, and nutritional yeast to a small bowl. Whisk to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large serving bowl, combine the romaine, cabbage, red onion, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, olives, and chickpeas. Drizzle with about half of the dressing, then toss gently to combine. Either add more dressing as you see fit, or serve the remainder on the side for others to adjust to taste.

Notes

Serving suggestions: Versatile enough to serve as either a side or the main event, this salad makes for an excellent backup to a larger protein, like grilled tofu or tempeh skewers, or a bowl-in-one with everything chopped up and mixed in. For extra heft, wrap it up in whole grain tortillas, pita bread, or sandwich rolls. Of course, for a full Italian dinner, it’s hard to beat the accompaniment of spaghetti and vegan meatballs. Don’t forget the garlic bread when you want to go all out!

Notes: Want a milder bite? Reduce the red wine vinegar by 1 tablespoon or swap it for sherry vinegar, which has a softer, sweeter flavor. Likewise, you can replace the raw red onions with sliced scallions or chives.

Go ahead, veg out! Other great additions to consider include sliced cucumbers, artichoke hearts, sliced roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, and/or chopped celery.

Nutrition