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Salads
Pizza Shop Chop
This tangy and briny side salad is simply the best salad to make the next time you order in a pizza. Let's make every night Pizza Night!
The next time you order yourself a pizza, this is the salad you have to serve with it. It’s simply the perfect tangy and briny counterpart to your favorite pizza. What I’m calling the Pizza Shop Chop Salad has all my favorite flavors from a traditional Italian pizza shop, like pepperoncini, tomatoes, salami, onion, olives, and lots and lots of cheese!
Watch Me Make Pizza Shop Chop
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make a Pizza Shop Chop
Storing
Pizza Shop Chop Salad Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
Romaine Lettuce
Because this chopped salad has so many yummy toppings, we need a sturdy lettuce like romaine to hold up to it. I also love the crunch! However, this salad is super easy to customize so if you want to use another crunchy green like kale or iceberg lettuce, go for it!
Cherry Tomatoes
You can use any kind of cherry tomatoes in this salad and I love adding a mix of yellow, red, orange, and purple for some color variety. Pro tip: store tomatoes on the counter at room temperature instead of in the refrigerator – this helps them stay flavorful!
Black Olives
If you’re the person that orders a pizza, “but no olives, please,” then feel free to leave them out. I personally love the briny saltiness of olives in salad, though. You could also use any kind of olive you prefer. Buy a jar of pitted olives to save time.
Pepperoncini
Pepperoncini are small, tangy peppers that are usually pickled and are added to lots of Mediterranean dishes like this. You can usually find mild and spicy varieties at the store, so choose whichever level of heat you like. Pickled banana peppers would be a great substitute.
Red Onion
You can add your red onion raw, or soak slices in ice cold water for 5 to 10 minutes to take away some of their sharp bite. White, sweet, or yellow onions would also work and I would definitely recommend soaking those since they can have a stronger flavor than red. Thinly sliced shallots would also be a nice substitute.
Cheese
No Italian-inspired salad is complete without cheese. I add diced provolone or low moisture mozzarella. Any mild, semi-hard cheese would work. You could even use feta or goat cheese for a softer, crumbly texture. The freshly grated parmesan does exactly what the shelf-stable parmesan in the shakers or packets achieves at the pizza shop: a little extra salty cheesiness for good measure.
Salami
Any cured meat will work in this salad and I think it’s what really takes it over the top! Salami is flavored with a variety of spice mixes, some spicier than others, so just pick your favorite! Pepperoni would also be great. Vegetarians can leave out the salami for a Veggie Lover’s Pizza Shop Chop.
Italian Vinaigrette
You can use a store-bought Italian vinaigrette dressing or make your own. Making your own is super easy and usually more affordable. It also allows you to adjust the flavors and only add pantry staples instead of the other stabilizers and preservatives found in the bottled stuff.
- Extra virgin olive oil: For salad dressings, use a higher quality olive oil and always use extra virgin. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
- Vinegar: I love a red wine vinegar-based vinaigrette, but you can also use white wine vinegar, balsamic, or lemon juice.
- Lemon juice: For a little extra brightness! Or add more vinegar instead.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon is a slightly spicy, sharp mustard that I think adds nice depth of flavor to any salad dressing. Whole grain mustard is a bit milder and would work well instead. Go for a spicy Dijon if that’s your thing!
- Honey: For just a touch of sweetness! Substitute maple syrup or granulated sugar and stir or whisk it well to dissolve.
- Italian seasoning: Italian seasoning usually has basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram, but might also have garlic, red pepper flakes, and other dried herbs. It’s a great all-purpose seasoning, especially if you tend to cook a lot of Mediterranean flavors. I often use Harmony Mediterranean Blend as a substitute for Italian seasoning. If you don’t have either seasoning blend, you can just add a mix of whatever dried herbs you have on hand.
- Parmesan cheese: Add freshly grated parmesan cheese to your vinaigrette as an optional way to sneak in even more cheese.
How to Make a Pizza Shop Chop Salad
Step 1
First make the dressing by whisking together all ingredients until combined. You can also shake it up in a jar.
Step 2
Pour 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing and a pinch of salt over the cherry tomatoes and stir to combine. Let them marinate for 10-15 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Step 3
In a large bowl, add the lettuce, marinated tomatoes, olives, pepperoncinis, red onion, provolone cheese, parmesan cheese, and salami. Pour the remaining dressing on top then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite pizza!
Storing Salad
All of the components of this chop salad can be chopped and stored separately from the lettuce and dressing if you want to prep a bunch of salad ingredients for the week ahead of time. The cherry tomatoes can be lightly dressed and stored separately.
The dressing can be kept in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to make extra so I have plenty of dressing for the week.
Made this for dinner. My husband who isn’t much of a salad guy kept going back for more. It was so good. Super simple and soo easy! Her recipes are always a hit.