Vegan Italian Chopped Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

An easy Italian-style Chopped Salad with chickpeas, then tossed in a zesty homemade vinaigrette. A vibrant, healthy salad with big, bold flavors! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This vegan Italian-style Chopped Salad is so flavorful.

It combines a variety of colorful, plant-based goodness and hearty chickpeas. Then it is tossed with a bold and zesty Italian-inspired dressing.

Plus it is also great made ahead for picnics, potlucks, BBQs, or take along lunches.

Simply store the dressing and salad separately in the fridge, and then combine when you are ready to serve. (This helps it stay fresh and crisp, otherwise it may get soggy.)

Ingredients for Vegan Italian Salad

For this salad portion you will need:

• Romaine
• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• Jarred artichoke hearts
• Roasted red pepper
• Carrot
• Red onion
• Kalamata olives
• Optional: tomato, cucumber, vegan provolone, pepperoncini

Ingredients for Dressing

For the zesty Italian-style dressing you will need:

• Red wine vinegar
• Vegetable broth (or water)
• Garlic
• Dijon mustard
• Dried oregano
• Dried basil
• Salt

For more inspiration, also browse all gluten-free or oil-free recipes.

Vegan Italian Chopped Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

A flavor-packed Italian-style chopped salad with zesty oil-free dressing! Such bold flavors plus a garbanzo bean boost.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• 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 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 the entire dressing). Toss well to combine. *However if not serving immediately, see suggestions 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: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPotassium: 307mgFiber: 8gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3922IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 102mgIron: 3mg

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If you are enjoying this Vegan Italian Chopped Salad, 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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