New Orleans Muffuletta Salad (Printable)
A vibrant salad featuring olives, cured meats, cheeses, and a tangy Italian-style dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Salad Base
01 - 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
02 - 1 cup iceberg lettuce, chopped
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Olive Salad
05 - 3/4 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
06 - 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
07 - 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
08 - 1/4 cup giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables), chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons capers, drained
10 - 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Meats & Cheeses
12 - 3 ounces Genoa salami, sliced into strips
13 - 3 ounces mortadella or ham, sliced into strips
14 - 3 ounces provolone cheese, sliced into strips
15 - 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
→ Dressing
16 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
17 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
18 - 1 garlic clove, minced
19 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
20 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
21 - 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
# How-To:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine and iceberg lettuces, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
02 - In a medium bowl, mix together green olives, Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, giardiniera, capers, celery, and parsley to make the olive salad.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt to make the dressing.
04 - Add the olive salad, Genoa salami, mortadella (or ham), provolone, and mozzarella to the lettuce mixture.
05 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Its essentially a deconstructed sandwich minus the bread, which means you get all those incredible Italian flavors without feeling weighed down
- The olive salad marinade doubles as dressing, making every single bite sing with vinegar, garlic, and herbs
02 -
- Dont skip the 10 minute rest after tossing the salad with dressing, or the lettuce will taste like oil instead of the full muffuletta experience
- The giardiniera varies wildly between brands, so taste yours first and adjust the amount if its particularly spicy or vinegary
03 -
- Invest in a good jar of giardiniera from an Italian market or make your own, the supermarket versions can be disappointingly mild
- Let the dressing sit for at least 10 minutes before tossing, this softens the garlic and lets the dried oregano rehydrate properly