Easy Antipasto Salad Recipe for Summer

If you’re looking for a fresh and tasty way to enjoy your summer meals, an antipasto salad is a great choice. This salad recipe is perfect as an appetizer or a light main dish. An antipasto salad combines vibrant vegetables, salty meats, and tangy cheeses to create a cool, easy summer dish you’ll want to make again and again.

This post may contain affiliate links.

You can customize your summer antipasto salad with whatever ingredients you love, making it ideal for hot days when you want something quick and satisfying. It’s a colorful mix that brings together crunchy olives, crisp peppers, and savory slices of salami, all tossed with a simple dressing.

This salad recipe works well for picnics, barbecues, or just a nice lunch at home. With just a few fresh ingredients, you can prepare a flavorful antipasto salad that’s light but filling enough to keep you going through the day.

How to Make the Best Antipasto Salad for Summer

You’ll want fresh ingredients, good cheese, and a tasty dressing to make your antipasto salad perfect. This salad combines crunchy veggies, salty meats, and tangy olives to create a refreshing summer dish. Knowing what to use and how to put it together will help you enjoy a simple yet flavorful meal.

Antipasto Salad Ingredients

Start with a base of romaine lettuce or arugula for a fresh, green crunch. Add fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and bell peppers. For flavor, include marinated artichoke hearts and pepperoncini peppers.

Choose a variety of cured meats such as genoa salami, prosciutto, mortadella, and pepperoni. For cheese, mix provolone, mozzarella cheese, and fresh mozzarella cubes. Don’t forget a mix of olives—kalamata, black olives, and green olives add color and taste.

A simple dressing made from extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, and Italian seasoning will bring all the flavors together nicely.

Antipasto Salad Recipe

Here’s a classic Antipasto Salad recipe that’s easy to make and perfect as a starter or a light meal:

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, arugula, or your choice)
1 cup cooked or cured Italian meats, chopped (salami, pepperoni, ham, or capicola)
1 cup mozzarella balls (ciliegine) or diced mozzarella
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup black or green olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced cucumber (optional)
Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the salad greens, Italian meats, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, olives, red onion, and cucumber (if using).

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves on top.

Serve immediately or chill for 15-20 minutes to let flavors meld. Enjoy your fresh and flavorful antipasto salad!

Serving and Presentation Ideas

Serve your antipasto salad chilled, either as a light lunch or a side dish with crusty bread or focaccia bread to soak up the dressing. Place the salad on a large platter for gatherings like potlucks or barbecues.

You can add small bowls of extra giardiniera or marinated veggies on the side for guests to customize their plate. For a beautiful look, arrange the colorful ingredients in sections before tossing or leave it mixed and fresh in a serving bowl.

Pair it with a charcuterie board to make a complete summer appetizer spread. The mix of flavors and textures will make your meal feel special without much fuss.

Creative Variations and Expert Tips

You can easily change ingredients to match what you like or have on hand. Also, knowing how to store and prep this salad helps keep it fresh and tasty for several days. These ideas will help you customize your salad and keep meal time simple.

Easy Ingredient Substitutions

If you don’t have mozzarella balls, try small cubes of creamy cheese like feta or burrata. Parmesan cheese works great as a topping if you want a sharper flavor.

For pasta, fusilli or orzo pasta both work well in this salad. You can swap out pasta for gnocchi if you want a softer texture.

Instead of marinated artichokes, you can use other marinated vegetables like roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. These change the flavor but keep the zesty feel.

Fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or bell peppers add color and crunch. Feel free to mix and match your favorites with the antipasti.

Meal Prep and Storage Tips

Make your antipasto salad a day ahead to let flavors blend. Store it covered in the fridge.

Keep the dressing or any creamy cheese separate until serving if you want to avoid sogginess. Add them just before eating.

Use airtight containers to keep the salad fresh. It should last about 3 days in the fridge.

If you want to turn this into a pasta salad for a quick lunch, prepare pasta in advance and toss with the antipasti right before serving. This keeps the pasta from getting mushy.

These tips help your salad stay tasty and easy to enjoy all week.

Follow my summer salad recipe board on Pinterest.