Vegan Italian Chopped Salad (Oil-Free!)

This easy Vegan Italian Chopped Salad recipe is FULL of delicious, bold flavor! It's tossed in a zesty homemade dressing, plus incredibly customizable. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This vegan Italian Chopped Salad is full of bold, delicious flavor!

It features a variety of colorful, plant-based goodness and hearty chickpeas. Then it's tossed with an oil-free zesty Italian-inspired dressing. (So good!)

The best part is it's incredibly customizable. Swap in your favorite additions or whatever you have on hand that you need to use up. (See below for ideas.)

It's also great made ahead for meal prep, picnics, potlucks, BBQs, or take along lunches. You can enjoy it as a side dish or main dish!

Ingredients for Vegan Italian Salad

For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large mixing bowl:

• Romaine lettuce: You'll need one medium head romaine, or about 4-5 cups chopped.
• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas): These add plant-based protein and fiber to the salad which makes it feel more substantial and hearty. But feel free to leave them out if preferred. Or you can substitute with white beans such as navy beans or cannellini beans.
• Artichoke hearts: I use jarred artichoke hearts. You'll need about one cup, which I find is about 8-10 artichoke hearts.
• Grape tomatoes: Or cherry tomatoes. I use these because they have a rich, sweet flavor. But you can substitute with roma tomatoes or other garden tomato if desired.
• Red onion
• Kalamata olives: I like Kalamata best but you can use black olives if preferred.
• Vegan Italian Dressing: I use my creamy, oil-free homemade Vegan Italian Dressing. It's full of bold flavors like red wine vinegar, hummus, Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, white miso, nutritional yeast, and garlic. But feel free to substitute with your own favorite Italian-style dressing!

Customizing

Other vegetables: Chop other veggies such as red bell pepper, roasted red pepper, cucumber, carrot, pepperoncini, celery, radicchio, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Crunchy croutons or pine nuts are great additions as well.

Add vegan cheese: Include vegan provolone, mozzarella, tofu feta cheese, dairy-free feta crumbles, or Vegan Parmesan Cheese if desired.

Add fresh herbs: Toss in fresh parsley, basil, or oregano for even more flavor! Or add black pepper to taste.

Storing

Store the dressing and salad in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Then combine together when you are ready to serve. If stored separately, I find it keeps for about 3-4 days. (If the dressing is already tossed with the salad, it’s best enjoyed within a day to ensure it's fresh and crisp.)

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan salad recipes or lunch recipes.

If you're enjoying this oil-free chopped Vegan Italian Salad recipe, also check out:

• Asian Style Chopped Salad
• BBQ Chickpea Chopped Salad
• Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

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