Muffaletta Salad

This twist on an Italian antipasto salad is like a deconstructed version of the famed New Orleans special, the muffaletta.

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Servings

Calories 812kcal

Author Kylie Mazon-Chambers

Ingredients

For the dressing:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

For the sesame croutons:

4 cups 1” cubes day-old sesame Italian bread
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

For the salad and assembly:

1 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped
½ small head radicchio, chopped
3 ounces sliced and chopped sweet sopressata
2 ounces mortadella, chopped
2 ounces capicola, chopped
½ cup cubed Provolone cheese
½ cup Giardiniera, (pickled Italian vegetable salad), roughly chopped
⅓ cup pitted castelvetrano olives
2 tablespoons thinly sliced pepperoncini peppers

Instructions

For the dressing:

Add the olive oil, vinegar and garlic to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

For the sesame croutons:

Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Toss the cubed bread with the oil and sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread in an even single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the croutons are crispy and golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Croutons can be kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

For the salad and assembly:

Add the lettuce and radicchio to a salad bowl or large mixing bowl. Top with the sopressata, mortadella, capicola, provolone, giardiniera, olives and pepperoncini. Add half the croutons and drizzle salad dressing over top.
Use tongs to toss to combine. Top with the remaining croutons and serve.

Video

Notes

For the best texture and flavor, don’t dress the whole salad at once. Toss only part of the greens with vinaigrette, then add more as needed. This prevents the salad from becoming soggy and keeps every bite crisp.

Nutrition