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Home » Recipes » Salad

Vegan Italian Chopped Salad (Oil-Free!)

Nov 14, 2023 by Kaitlin · 4 Comments

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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.)

Overhead view of Vegan Italian Chopped Salad in a large white bowl with serving spoon

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!

Romaine lettuce, garbanzo beans, tomato, olives, artichoke, and onion ingredients laid out on a metal tray

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!
Dressing being poured on Italian salad ingredients in a large glass bowl

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.)

Close-up view of Vegan Italian Chopped Salad in a white bowl tossed with dressing

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

Close-up view of Vegan Italian Chopped Salad in a white bowl tossed with dressing

Vegan Italian Chopped Salad (Oil-Free!)

This Italian-style salad is FULL of delicious, bold flavor! It's tossed in a zesty homemade dressing, plus customizable with your favorite veggies.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan
Servings: 4 (2-cup servings)

Ingredients

  • 4-5 cups romaine lettuce
  • 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts, jarred
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup red onion
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 1/2 cup Vegan Italian Dressing (one batch)

For serving (optional):

  • Vegan Parmesan Cheese
  • Fresh herbs, black pepper, vegan feta cheese, etc.

Instructions

  • Make the dressing: Or prepare this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready.
  • Prepare salad: Chop romaine and place in a large bowl. Rinse and drain chickpeas and add to bowl. Then remove excess liquid from artichoke hearts and chop. Dice tomato, onion, and olives. Add to bowl.
  • Dress salad: Pour desired amount of dressing over salad. (I use the entire batch of dressing for a heavily-dressed salad.) Toss well to combine. *However if not serving immediately, see suggestions below.
  • Garnish: Sprinkle with optional vegan parmesan cheese, black pepper, fresh herbs, vegan feta cheese, etc.

Notes

*Serving & storing: After dressing is mixed with salad, it’s best enjoyed within a day. If preparing ahead of time, store salad and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Then combine right before serving.
Customize it: Swap in cucumber, pepperoncini, bell pepper, roasted red pepper, carrot, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, croutons, etc.
Original dressing: I've updated this recipe with my new favorite Italian-style dressing. Here's the original dressing if you prefer it: Whisk together 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 3 Tbsp. water, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. dried basil, 1/8 tsp. salt.
Yield: Recipe makes about 8 cups salad. (About 3-4 medium/large salads, or 6-8 smaller side salads.)
Recipe originally published September 2017. Updated November 2023.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Italian Chopped Salad (Oil-Free!)
Amount per Serving
Calories
254
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
11
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Potassium
 
522
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
 
29
g
10
%
Fiber
 
10
g
42
%
Sugar
 
5
g
6
%
Protein
 
10
g
20
%
Vitamin A
 
5088
IU
102
%
Vitamin C
 
20
mg
24
%
Calcium
 
103
mg
10
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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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

Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating:




  1. Karen says

    May 26, 2025 at 4:15 am

    5 stars
    Just tried this and loved it! The dressing is great on many salads and is now in my list of favourites.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      May 26, 2025 at 7:16 am

      That's fantastic to hear, Karen! So glad you found a new favorite. Thanks a lot for coming back to share your very kind review!

      Reply
  2. Shay McRedmond says

    July 28, 2022 at 2:26 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      July 28, 2022 at 3:08 pm

      Great to hear, Shay! Thanks for giving it a try.

      Reply

Hello, I'm Kaitlin!
I live in Montana and share vegan recipes that are easy and healthy. About Me →

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