Italian Style Chopped Salad

Put your garden lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil to work in this satisfying and hearty Italian salad. The salami and spicy pepperoncini give this dish its signature Italian flavor. To make this vegetarian, you can substitute 1 cup chickpeas for the salami. This recipe makes enough for 2 people.

Chopped lettuce – sturdy romaine is good, but any lettuce will do, about 2 cups per person
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half – or heirloom tomatoes, chopped, about 1 cup
1 cucumber, chopped
3-4 oz salami, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mini mozzarella balls (if you can’t find the mini balls, just dice up a large ball)
Handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
2-3 pepperoncini, chopped
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, or roasted red pepper, chopped
Optional but good: green or black olives, shaved Parmesan, more fresh herbs like chives, parsley, marjoram, or rosemary
Dressing:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Pinch of sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup and drizzle over the salad. Toss to coat everything. Serve with hearty bread. This is best eaten immediately but it will stay decent in the refrigerator for 1 day if you used romaine lettuce (vs. butter lettuce or other more delicate lettuce.)