ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD (CPK COPYCAT)

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Italian Chopped Salad is a knockoff of the well-known salad from California Pizza Kitchen. Ham, salami, chickpeas, tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and lettuce all abundant in this Italian chopped salad. It is dressed with a simple vinaigrette made of lemon, Dijon, and herbs.

California Pizza Kitchen Copycat!

I visited Vegas with several girlfriends a few months ago. We frequently ate lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen® located inside the hotel where we stayed. I chose this salad for one of the lunches and immediately knew I needed to make a replica dish. And because I adore this dish even more, I'm really psyched about it!

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD INGREDIENTS

SALAD

  • 1 large head (4 cups) romaine lettuce (Note 1)
  • 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • 1/2 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) chopped salami
  • 1/2 cup chopped ham
  • 1 cup (5oz.) fresh mozzarella pearls, halved
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini
  • 10-12 large fresh basil leaves

DRESSING (NOTE 2)

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 clove garlic (1/2 teaspoon minced)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Fine sea salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a container that can be closed. Add salt and pepper to taste; I use around 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Shake vigorously to blend after covering. When you're ready to dress the salad, place in the refrigerator and keep there.
  2. The lettuce should be washed and chopped. I prefer to finely slice the lettuce into ribbons, then cut the ribbons in half. By making the salad pieces thinner, the dressing has more surface area to attach to. Before adding any other ingredients, make sure the lettuce is completely dry by using a salad spinner.
  3. Chickpeas, quartered cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced salami, finely chopped ham, halved mozzarella pearls, and thinly sliced pepperoncini should all be included in the salad. Basil pieces can be chiffonaded (see Note 3) and then added to the salad. Toss the salad and taste-test various additions.
  4. PUT ON DRESSING: Shake the dressing once more to recombine after taking it out of the fridge. Just dress the amount of salad you intend to have right away (see Note 2). Unfortunately, the dressing doesn't go well with this salad, so save it for when you're ready to eat.
  5. You can choose to use some of the dressing in this salad if there is any left over. In the refrigerator, dressing can be kept for up to a week.

RECIPE TIPS

  1. Slice and roll the romaine lettuce into thin cigars. To create lettuce ribbons that are narrow and brief, chop the tiny slices. As a result, the lettuce has a larger surface area over which the dressing can spread and better bind with the other chopped components.
  2. When washing lettuce, make sure to completely dry it. Nothing spoils a salad more quickly than soggy lettuce! Make sure the lettuce is completely dry before adding anything else by using a salad spinner, if you have one, or a few paper towels.
  3. Getting all the salad's tastes in one mouthful is the finest part about a chopped salad. The components must be reasonably finely and evenly diced in order to fit everything into one bite. Additionally, when the pieces are small, the dressing blends even better and more evenly. This salad tastes better when everything is cut more uniformly. 
  4.  Red onions should be finely sliced and placed in ice-cold water with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes to subdue their flavor. Prior to adding to this salad, drain completely.

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