Italian Chopped Salad with Pepperoncini Vinaigrette

Italian Chopped Salad with Pepperoncini Vinaigrette.

There’s nothing quite like the pairing of pepperoncini and provolone. Buttery from the cheese, bright and acidic from the peppers, but healthy because lettuce right? A Vinaigrette made with the brine of the peppers ties it all together for a bright and refreshing salad.

Here I add butter beans for protein, and use vegan provolone, but for my meat eating friends, feel free to go all out with salami and real provolone! This would also be great topped with grilled shrimp or chicken as a dinner salad!

Ingredients

2 Romaine Hearts, Chopped (I like it reallyyyyy chopped)

1/2 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced

1/2 Cup Vegan Provolone sliced or cubed

1/2 Cup Pepperoncini, chopped

1 Can of Butter Beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 Red Onion, Thinly sliced and rinsed

Pepperoncini Vinaigrette

1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbs Pepperoncini Brine

2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar

1 Small Garlic Clove Minced

1 Tsp Italian Seasoning and 1 Tbs Fresh Chopped Basil if you have it

1/2 tsp Dijon

1/2 tsp sugar (if there isn’t any already in your pepperoncini brine)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method.

Step 1.

Place your rinsed and dried, chopped romaine in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add in the rest of your salad ingredients over top. I like to add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and a dash of red wine vinegar over the beans to give them some more flavor.

Step 2.

In a bowl, combine all salad dressing ingredients except for the extra virgin olive oil. Start to whisk together your dressing, and slowly pour in your oil while you continue to whisk.

Step 3.

Pour 1/2 of your dressing over the salad and toss so everything is coating in your beautiful dressing. Top your serving with extra dressing if desired and enjoy!