Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Mega Italian Salad Recipe
All people wants an enormous, fats, juicy Italian Salad recipe of their lives, and that is my favorite. It has croutons, a dusting of parmesan and a home made Italian dressing I am keen on. This goes effectively with all issues Italian however particularly with cosy meals like pasta, parmigiana, lasagna.
Or, have it as a healthful however satisfying meal. Transfer over Caesar salad!
I christened this a MEGA Italian salad in an effort to catch your consideration with an implied promise that it’s higher than simply your primary on a regular basis Backyard Salad. Did it work? In the event you’re studying this, then hah, it did! 😉
I could also be jesting however truly this salad actually is mega – each in measurement and tastiness. In the event you’re used to bottled Italian dressing you’re going to fall in love with this home made quantity which will get a flavour increase from seasonings and the key ingredient, parmesan.
As for the salad itself, it would appear like a jumble of standard salad tidbits. However truly, there’s a really deliberate steadiness of greens in it so it doesn’t style like some other primary salad, however slightly the type of salad you’d order at your favorite rustic, family-run native Italian restaurant.
For these of you within the States – suppose the signature Backyard Salad at Olive Backyard. It tastes like that, besides the dressing is healthier!
Right here’s what you must make my tremendous Italian salad. Sure, there are some very particular “half this” and “half that”, and “huge this” and a “complete that” on this. I warned you – I’m very explicit about the best steadiness of substances for my favorite Italian salad!
1. The salad stuff
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Cos /romaine lettuce – We’re utilizing an entire head for an enormous salad at the moment. I chop, wash after which spin-dry the leaves in my superior $5 Ikea salad spinner that I’ve owned for 15 years (right here’s the one offered at the moment).
As for what measurement to cut the items, it comes all the way down to eater desire. I like huge chunks for an enormous, voluminous salad. In the event you’re coping with smaller or much less grasping mouths, you may wish to minimize the items smaller.
Substitute with iceberg or different crunchy lettuce of alternative.
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Tomatoes – 2 huge juicy ones. Or 3 medium ones. Cherry tomatoes are additionally nice. However for this salad, I favor the juiciness of bigger ones minimize up.
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Pink onion – Simply 1/2, finely sliced. For freshness and a few chew, littered all through.
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Capsicum / bell pepper – Additionally simply half. I don’t need capsicum to dominate the salad an excessive amount of and style like a Greek Salad. We’re making an Italian salad right here!
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Kalamata olives, pitted, complete – You need to use any olives you need right here although I personally a lot favor the flavour and texture of kalamata olives slightly than the generically labelled “black olives”. I like utilizing complete olives as a result of biting into delicate, briny olives is a part of why I really like this salad a lot.
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Bread for croutons – Truthfully, this salad is 100% nice to make with out croutons. However with? That’s how I really feel justified in calling this a MEGA Italian salad!
Notice: the croutons are particularly slightly bigger than standard, made with stock-standard white sandwich bread. It’s far more satisfying crunching into extra-big golden croutons than delicate little ones (they’ve their place, simply not on this!).
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Parmesan – For sprinkling all around the salad, bringing salty umami to the occasion. It’s the opposite little factor that provides this salad that additional edge. In the event you’re new to parmesan in salads, be ready to be wowed!
2. Italian Dressing
And right here’s what you want for the Italian Dressing:
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Parmesan – Yep, extra. That is the key ingredient that provides Italian Dressing the sting, but individuals hardly ever decide that it’s within the dressing. They only understand it’s darn tasty!
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Dried herbs and spices – Basil and garlic powder, plus a contact of pink chilli flakes. I particularly select to make use of dried basil for the earthy flavour it brings this dressing slightly the freshness of uncooked basil. Plus, it additionally means I could make this Italian dressing year-round and never simply summer season.
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Additional virgin olive oil – In the event you’ve each questioned why even easy salads at upmarket eating places style so good, the reply is great high quality oil and vinegar. I preserve economical olive oil for cooking, and reserve the good things for salads. This salad deserves the good things!
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Pink wine vinegar – Made out of wine (actually?), this vinegar is milder and has extra flavour than your on a regular basis white distilled vinegar. Pink or white wine vinegar can be utilized right here, although I significantly like the color of pink wine vinegar within the dressing. After all, the enjoyable police will all the time level out that after it’s tossed by way of the salad you possibly can’t actually inform if it’s pink or white wine vinegar. 😂
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Shake the dressing in a jar (my most well-liked methodology for ease + leftovers storage)
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Toss along with all of the salad substances and serve straight away. No one likes soggy croutons and wilting lettuce!
MAKE AHEAD – Simply preserve the salad separate from the greens. It’s good for twenty-four hours, and nonetheless acceptable for 48 hours.
It is a salad that’s a pure pairing with all issues Italian, corresponding to:
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Your favorite pasta – whether or not or not it’s Spag Bol, a creamy chicken pasta or eggplant and tomato Pasta all Norma;
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An enormous pasta bake;
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Perennial crowd fav lasagna;
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A comfy tray of cannelloni; or
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A home made to-die-for chicken or eggplant parmigiana.
Some reader favorite Italian mains
Actually it’ll work alongside most dishes and cuisines besides maybe Asian meals, Center Japanese, Indian meals and so on. You already know the type of flavours I imply!
I’d like to know what you serve this with when you make it as a aspect or as a meal. I actually suppose this salad might give Caesar salad a run for its cash. And check out including chicken for an Uber Mega Italian Salad!
