Vegan Italian Chopped Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

Flavor-packed Italian-style 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-style Chopped Salad! I’ve been making it on repeat.

It’s full of healthy, plant-based goodness and tossed with an (easy) bold & zesty Italian-inspired 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.

Be sure to read the notes below the recipe for tips on the dressing and serving suggestions. Hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Also check out another one of my favorites: Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing.

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5 from 3 votes

Vegan Italian Chopped Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

Flavor-packed Italian-style Chopped Salad with a zesty homemade vinaigrette! Plus bold flavors & a garbanzo bean boost.

AuthorKaitlin – The Garden Grazer

Prep Time20 mins

Total Time20 mins

CategorySalad

CuisineGluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings4

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 1 large head romaine
• 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
• 1 cup jarred 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

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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: 203 kcalCarbohydrates: 23 gProtein: 7 gFat: 10 gSaturated Fat: 1 gPotassium: 307 mgFiber: 8 gSugar: 2 gVitamin A: 3922 IUVitamin C: 29 mgCalcium: 102 mgIron: 3 mg

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If you’re enjoying this Vegan Italian Salad, also check out:

• Asian Style Chopped Salad
• BBQ Chickpea Chopped Salad
• Mexican Quinoa Salad

Come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and then share a photo if you make this! (Also please leave a review & star rating below if you give it a try. Your feedback is greatly appreciated – thank you!)