Vegan Italian Chopped Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

Flavor-packed Italian Chopped Salad with a zesty homemade vinaigrette! A healthy mix of bold flavors plus a garbanzo bean boost! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free)

My new favorite obsession: this flavor-PACKED vegan Italian Chopped Salad! I’ve been making it on repeat with no end in sight. It’s full of healthy, plant-based goodness and tossed with an (easy!) bold & zesty Italian vinaigrette for a total taste explosion. Plus I love the fresh burst of color!

This dish is a wonderful make-ahead meal for picnics, potlucks, BBQ’s, or take-along lunches. (Simply store the dressing & salad separately until you’re ready to serve. Otherwise the romaine tends to get a little soggy.) Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Be sure to read the notes below the recipe for tips on the dressing and serving suggestions. (Also feel free to check out another one of my favorites: Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing!)

PS – come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and share a pic if you make or adapt this! I love seeing your beautiful recreations. (Or leave a star rating below if you give it a try – your feedback is very appreciated!)

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5 from 3 votes

Vegan Italian Chopped Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

Flavor-packed Vegan Italian Chopped Salad with a zesty homemade vinaigrette! Healthy mix of bold flavors & a garbanzo bean boost! (Oil-free)

Author: Kaitlin – The Garden Grazer

Prep Time:20 minutes

Total Time:20 minutes

Category: Salad

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings:4

Ingredients

• 1 large head romaine
• 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
• 1 cup artichoke hearts (about 8 hearts)
• 1 cup roasted red pepper (about 2 large peppers)
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• Other additions: tomatoes, cucumber, vegan provolone, pepperoncini

For the oil-free Zesty Italian Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable broth or water
• 1-2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions

• Make the dressing: in a bowl combine all ingredients and whisk to combine. Add more salt, or pepper if desired. Set aside.
• Chop romaine and finely dice onion. Add to a large bowl.
• Remove excess liquid from artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, olives, and chop. Add to bowl.
• Shred or shave carrot. Rinse and drain beans. Add both to bowl.
• Whisk dressing again and pour desired amount over salad (we usually use about the whole dressing amount.).
• Toss well to combine. *OR if not serving immediately, see tips below:

Notes

Can serve 8 as a small side.

*Serving suggestions:

After dressing is mixed with entire salad, it’s best eaten within a day. (Otherwise it gets soggy.)

If you’re not sure if you’ll eat it all within a day, I suggest keeping salad and dressing separate and pour desired amount of dressing on a serving-by-serving basis.

To prepare ahead of time, simply store salad and dressing separately (each covered in the fridge) and combine before serving. If you have a little leftover dressing, it stores great covered in the fridge!

**Dressing note:

Since the dressing is oil-free, it runs a bit thinner. If you prefer a thicker dressing, feel free to add chia seeds or arrowroot powder to slightly thicken.

Once the dressing is added to the salad, the flavors should really pop. If it’s a little dull, simply add a touch of salt.

Nutrition Per Serving (estimate)

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3920IU | Vitamin C: 29.2mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3.1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @thegardengrazer on Instagram and hashtag it #thegardengrazer. I love seeing your recreations!

Enjoying this Vegan Italian Salad? Feel free to also browse the full “Vegan Salad” recipe archives on the site for more tasty plant based inspiration.