Chopped Italian Deli Salad

• ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red or white vinegar
• 1 tbsp basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp chives, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Honey or sugar, to taste

Salad:

• 3 cups of romaine, chopped finely
• 1 cup thick-cut salami, cut into cubes
• ½ cup of mini mozzarella balls
• ½ cup of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained & rinsed
• ¼ cup black olives, sliced
• 1¼ cup of pepperoncini peppers
• ¼ cup of grape tomatoes, sliced in quarters
• ¼ cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• ½ small yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 tbsp basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp chives, chopped
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

How to Make a Chopped Italian Deli Salad:

Make the vinaigrette by whisking the olive oil, vinegar, basil, parsley, chives, minced garlic, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and honey (or sugar) to taste in a small glass jar. Seal with an airtight lid, shake well, and set aside to let flavors mingle.

Prepare the salad by combining the romaine, salami, mozzarella balls, garbanzo beans, olives, pepperoncini, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, yellow bell pepper, basil, parsley, and chives in a large bowl.

To serve the salad, drizzle some of the well-shaken vinaigrette over the top to taste, then toss to coat the salad evenly. Top with freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately. Enjoy.

*Cookbook Week: I was recently sent 5 wonderful cookbooks (food blogger perks), so I decided to do a recipe from each book this week – October 10-14, 2011 – (First recipe), (Second recipe), (Third recipe), (Fourth recipe). (Fifth recipe).