The LA Chop is my ultimate Italian chopped salad, and once you make it you will completely understand why it has become the most requested thing at our table for YEARS for any and all girls nights. Originally this showed up in my cookbook and since then, we've given it a bit of a facelift to make it even better!
We are talking thinly sliced little gem lettuce and radicchio tossed with marinated cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, pearl mozzarella, diced provolone, cubed Genoa salami, Castelvetrano olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and pepperoncini, all brought together with a bright, herby lemon vinaigrette and finished with golden butter-toasted panko for crunch. Every single bite has a little of everything and it is the kind of salad that eats like a full meal. If you are deep in the chopped salad universe right now, and you absolutely should be, my McCarthy Chopped Salad, my Easy Chickpea Chopped Salad, and my Radicchio Salad are all waiting for you.
The LA Chop at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 25 minutes (15 min prep + 10 min assembly)
- 👪 Servings: 6–8 people
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Italian-American / Chopped Salad
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Bright, tangy, briny, herbaceous with savory meats, creamy cheese, and crunchy toasted panko
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free adaptable (omit panko or gluten-free panko), vegetarian adaptable (omit salami), low-carb friendly (skip chickpeas/panko)
- 📦 Storage Notes: Best fresh. Store undressed salad up to 2 days; keep dressing and panko separate to maintain texture
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: A loaded, restaurant-style chopped salad with layered textures—crisp lettuce, juicy marinated tomatoes, briny olives, creamy mozzarella, and crunchy panko for the perfect bite every time
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Why I Love This Recipe
Here is what I love most about my spin on an Italian Chopped Salad aka the LA Chop: it is the salad that has literally everything.
The combination of two cheeses, the salami, the olives, and the pepperoncini gives it this savory, Italian antipasti quality that no other salad has. The marinated tomatoes are doing serious work here too. Even just a quick 10 to 15 minute sit in olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano transforms them into something so much more flavorful than a raw tomato thrown into a bowl. And that butter-toasted panko on top? That is the move that takes this from great salad to absolutely legendary salad. The crunch, the butteriness, the hint of oregano folded in. It is everything.
This salad is perfect as a standalone lunch, a dinner party side dish, or the centerpiece of a full Italian spread - hence why every single restaurant has their own version in Los Angeles including my own lol. Pair it with my Antipasti Burrata Panzanella to start and my Easy Greek Pasta Salad with Castelvetrano Olives alongside for a summer dinner party situation that everyone will absolutely lose their minds over.
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Ingredients
Substitutions & Swaps
🥬 Greens
- Romaine only — Skip radicchio if you want less bitterness
- Iceberg — Extra crunch, more classic deli-style
- Arugula — Peppery, more elevated twist
🧀 Cheese
- All mozzarella — For a milder profile
- Fontina or gouda — Slightly richer and meltier texture
- Parmesan — Adds salty, nutty depth
🥩 Protein
- Turkey or grilled chicken — Lighter alternative to salami
- Omit entirely — Still a very satisfying vegetarian salad
🫒 Briny Elements
- Banana peppers — Replace pepperoncini
- Capers — Add extra punch
🍋 Dressing Variations
- Champagne vinegar — Swap for red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard — Add 1 teaspoon for emulsification
- Fresh herbs — Use fresh oregano or basil instead of dried
How to Make The LA Chop (Italian Chopped Salad)
Step 1: Toss tomatoes with marinade ingredients and let sit.
Step 2: Toss artichokes with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Cook panko in olive oil over medium heat until golden. Salt lightly.
Step 4: Whisk dressing ingredients together.
Step 5: Slice lettuce and radicchio thin. Add to a bowl with tomatoes, chickpeas, cheeses, salami, olives, artichokes, and pepperoncini.
Step 6: Season lightly, add dressing, toss well.
Tips & Tricks for the Best The LA Chop (Italian Chopped Salad)
- Marinate the tomatoes first, everything else second. The tomatoes need at least 10 to 15 minutes in their marinade to really develop flavor and release their juices. Start them before you do anything else for the Italian Chopped Salad and the rest of the prep flows naturally.
- Slice the lettuce and radicchio thin. This is an Italian Chopped Salad, not a tear. You want thin, almost shredded ribbons of lettuce and radicchio so every forkful has a little bit of everything rather than a massive piece of lettuce dominating the bite.
- Soak the radicchio if it is particularly bitter. Radicchio varies in bitterness depending on the season and variety. If yours tastes very sharp, submerge the sliced leaves in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes before using. It mellows the bitterness significantly.
- Toast the panko right before serving. The butter-toasted panko is your finishing crown and it needs to go on at the very last second. If it sits in the dressed salad it will absorb moisture and lose all its crunch. Make it, set it aside, and add it the moment you are ready to serve.
- Dress lightly and taste as you go. This Italian Chopped Salad has a lot of bold, salty, briny ingredients already, so do not over-dress it. Start with about half the vinaigrette, toss, taste, and add more as needed. You can always add more dressing but you cannot take it away. And the dressing stores beautifully for 4-5 days.
- Let the artichokes marinate too. Even just a few minutes in the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper makes a real difference in how they taste. They go from canned artichoke hearts to something that genuinely tastes bright and intentional.
- Make the vinaigrette in a jar. Whisk together your lemon juice, red wine vinegar, shallot, garlic, and seasonings, then seal with a lid and shake. It stays emulsified longer and you can store any leftovers right in the same jar in the fridge for up to a week.
FAQ's
Can I make this Italian Chopped Salad ahead of time?
You can prep every component ahead of time and store them separately, but do not assemble and dress the salad until right before serving. The marinated tomatoes and artichokes, the vinaigrette, and even the sliced lettuce can all be done hours ahead. Toast the panko and toss everything together at the last minute.
How do I keep the Italian Chopped Salad from getting soggy?
Dry greens thoroughly, don’t overdress, and wait to combine until right before serving.
Can I add more protein to this Italian Chopped Salad?
Definitely. Grilled chicken, seared shrimp, or sliced flank steak are all incredible additions. You can also add a soft-boiled egg on top for a simpler protein boost.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes! Simply leave out the Genoa salami and the salad is still incredibly satisfying and flavorful with all the cheese, chickpeas, olives, and artichokes doing the heavy lifting.
Can I use a different cheese?
Absolutely. Fresh mozzarella balls, burrata torn in pieces, or cubed fontina would all be beautiful here. The combination of a mild, melty cheese alongside a sharper, aged cheese like provolone is what gives it depth, so try to keep that contrast going whatever you choose.
The LA Chop (Italian Chopped Salad)
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 head little gem or baby romaine lettuce thinly sliced
- 1 head radicchio thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 15 ounce can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces pearl mozzarella
- 4 ounces provolone diced
- 4 ounces genoa salami diced
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives pitted and torn
- 1 cup artichoke hearts drained
- ⅓ cup pepperoncini sliced
For the Tomato Marinade
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Koster salt and dried oregano to taste
For the Artichoke Marinade
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Panko
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes with the tomato marinade ingredients. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, toss the artichoke hearts with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the vinaigrette: in a jar or small bowl, combine the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, shallot, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Whisk or shake well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Make the butter-toasted panko: heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the fresh oregano, and season lightly with salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sliced lettuce and radicchio with the marinated tomatoes, chickpeas, pearl mozzarella, provolone, salami, Castelvetrano olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and pepperoncini.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add about half the vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Taste and add more dressing as needed.
- Transfer to a large serving platter or bowl and top generously with the butter-toasted panko. Serve immediately.
