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Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

Easy Italian Salad Board

Published: May 19, 2023 · Modified: Jun 3, 2023 by Jan Nunes

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A large board covered with romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients with text overlay.
Italian dressing being poured over romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients on a board with text overlay.
A large board covered with romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients with text overlay.
A large board covered with romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients with text overlay.
Italian dressing being poured over romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients on a board with text overlay.

Easy Italian Salad Board contains your favorite Italian salad ingredients that you place on a charcuterie board. It is both super easy to make for family dinners and gorgeous for entertaining.

This is an easy way to refresh your salad-making. Instead of tossing your favorite Italian salad in a bowl, you can build that salad on a board for a fresh new look.

A large board covered with romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients.

Many salad boards place the ingredients in small bowls but this method has you build the salad on the board. You can easily see every vibrant ingredient and clean-up is super easy!

Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • What to Serve with an Italian Salad Board
  • My Top Tips
  • Substitutions & Variations
  • Equipment
  • Make-Ahead & Storage
  • More Amazing Salad Ideas
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Why This Recipe Works

At Chrismas, this past year I was blessed with receiving a round charcuterie board from my good friend and neighbor plus my mother-in-law gave me a book on building all sorts of food boards, from charcuterie to dessert, cheese, appetizers, crudites, and salads! So when I was planning my salad series for this year, I decided at least one salad needed to be built on a board.

This Italian salad is based on a salad my grandmother made. Hers was simply lettuce, tomato, black olives, and salami dressed in Italian vinaigrette and sometimes in champagne dressing.

It was the salami that was surprising. Salty with a bit of garlic and spice, it was a nice addition to an ordinary garden salad.

So, I've taken that salad and revved it up with some additional, delicious, salad ingredients that all work well together and dressed it lightly with an Italian vinaigrette.

But the real kicker is serving it on a charcuterie board. Placing the salad on the board makes it company-worthy and no one would ever guess how super simple it is to set up and clean up.

So, let's cook!

Ingredients

The ingredients, clockwise from top: cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, romaine lettuce, croutons, celery leaves and Italian parsley, Italian salad dressing, salami, red onion, marinated mozzarella pearls, and black olives.

Here's what you need for this Easy Italian Salad Board:

  • Romaine Lettuce - I like romaine lettuce for this salad since it is hearty and holds up well with lots of salad add-ins.
  • Cherry Tomatoes - Small, sweet cherry tomatoes give a pop of red to the salad and a nice acidic component.
  • Pepperoncini - Also called Tuscan peppers, sweet Italian peppers, or golden Greek peppers, these small yellow peppers are generally pickled and mild in flavor.
  • Black Olives - Black olives are both salty and loaded with umami flavor. Plus, have you ever heard of the decorating rule that you should have one black accent in a room? That rule works for salads too!
  • Marinated Mozzarella Pearls - There has to be cheese in this salad and I love adding these small balls of creamy mozzarella cheese that are marinated in olive oil and Italian spices.
  • Croutons - Add a nice crunch to the salad and use your favorite croutons either store-bought or homemade. Good choices are cheese, garlic, parmesan cheese, and Caesar.
  • Red Onion - Red onion is savory and has a slight sweetness that is perfect for salads.
  • Salami - This is my grandmother's trick to enhance a salad. Italian salami is generally spicy and sometimes garlic flavored. I like to use a mild salami.
  • Italian Salad Dressing - Add your favorite Italian salad dressing which can be store-bought or homemade. I prefer to use a vinaigrette style dressing, but you can use any Italian dressing you love.
  • Celery Leaves - Use the innermost tender celery stalks and celery leaves for a delicious treat. Celery is often chopped and added to salads and the leaves are thrown away. Don't miss adding them to any salad. They are loaded with flavor.
  • Italian Parsley (Optional) - This is also called flat-leaf parsley. Chop some of the leaves finely or add whole leaves of parsley for additional flavor.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Instructions

Process Photo 1 - Oiling the board before building the salad.

Prepare the Board. Cover the board with a thin layer of food-grade mineral oil or safflower oil. Wipe away any excess.

Process Photo 2 - Cutting the romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and red onion on a white cutting board.

Prepare the Ingredients. Wash and dry the romaine lettuce and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Save 6 smaller whole romaine leaves. Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the red onion.

Process Photo 2 - Laying whole leaves of romaine lettuce and inner celery stalks with leaves on the board.

Arrange the Salad. Arrange the whole romaine lettuce leaves on one side of a large board and cover the remaining board with the chopped romaine.

Artfully arrange or scatter the remaining ingredients over the lettuce and on the board and drizzle everything with the Italian dressing. You can also leave the dressing on the side.

A board covered with romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients.

Garnish with leaves of Italian parsley if desired. Serve and Enjoy!

What to Serve with an Italian Salad Board

  • Baked Spaghetti
  • Taco Stuffed Peppers
  • Chicken Tenders Parmesan
  • Spaghetti Aglio with Green Peas
  • Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
  • Lasagna

My Top Tips

♡ Buy the freshest produce for the best flavor. If red cherry tomatoes are not looking good but yellow are, buy the yellow.

♡ Prep everything in advance and assemble the salad just prior to serving it to keep it fresh.

Substitutions & Variations

  • Substitute Feta or Goat Cheese. Instead of marinated mozzarella pearls, you can substitute feta cheese or goat cheese. Both add a creamy element to the salad.
  • Substitute Pickled Red Onion. For another pickled element, you can substitute this for the fresh red onion.
  • Budget-Friendly Version. Cut the quantity of black olives to one-half cup and slice them in half. Omit the pepperoncini and the marinated mozzarella pearls.
A close view of the easy Italian salad, mozzarella pearls, sliced salami, croutons, red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, and black olives.

Equipment

Any charcuterie board, cutting board, or cheese board will work fine. The board I used is 17 ½" by 13 ½". I recommend you treat the board with a fine layer of cooking oil or food-grade mineral oil before layering the salad on it and wash and dry it well after using it.

If you don't have a board you can make this salad on an extra-large platter and still have a similar look.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Because this is a garden-type salad, it really can't be prepared in advance of serving it. But you can measure and prep the ingredients earlier in the day and refrigerate them.

Dressed salad doesn't really keep well. But if the salad is undressed, you can store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for a day.

Pouring dressing over the salad ingredients on a wooden board.

More Amazing Salad Ideas

  • A salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and krab, with green salad dressing in a crystal pitcher.
    Green Goddess Salad Dressing
  • A white bowl filled with ribbons of zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
    Zucchini Salad
  • A white plate and a fork full of ramen salad.
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  • Corn salad in a glass dish.
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♡ Did you try out this recipe? Please give it a Star Rating below and tag @enchartedcook on Instagram and hashtag it #enchartedcook.

📖 Recipe

A board covered with romaine lettuce and other Italian salad ingredients.

Easy Italian Salad Board

5 from 1 vote
Encharted Cook | Jan Nunes
Easy Italian Salad Board contains your favorite Italian salad ingredients that you place on a charcuterie board. It is both super easy to make for family dinners and gorgeous for entertaining.
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Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 235 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Charcuterie or Cutting Board

Ingredients
 

  • 6 Cups Romaine Lettuce, Cut into Bite-Sized Pieces
  • 6 Small Romaine Leaves
  • 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Cup Whole Small Black Olives, Pitted
  • ½ Cup Red Onion, Sliced
  • 6 Pepperoncini Peppers
  • 8 Ounces Marinated Mozzarella Pearls
  • 1 Cup Croutons, Homemade or Store Bought
  • Fresh Celery Leaves
  • ⅔ Cup Italian Dressing, Homemade or Store Bought
  • Italian Parsley, Optional

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the Board. Cover the board with a thin layer of food grade mineral oil or safflower oil. Wipe away any excess.
  • Prepare the Ingredients. Wash and dry the romaine lettuce and chop into bite sized pieces. Save 6 smaller whole romaine leaves. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Slice the red onion.
    6 Cups Romaine Lettuce, 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, ½ Cup Red Onion
  • Arrange the Salad. Arrange the whole romaine lettuce leaves on one side of a large board and cover the remaining board with the chopped romaine.
    Artfully arrange or scatter the remaining ingredients over the lettuce and on the board and drizzle everything with the Italian dressing. You can also leave the dressing on the side.
    Garnish with leaves of Italian parsley if desired. Serve and Enjoy!
    6 Small Romaine Leaves, 1 Cup Whole Small Black Olives, 6 Pepperoncini Peppers, 8 Ounces Marinated Mozzarella Pearls, 1 Cup Croutons, Fresh Celery Leaves, ⅔ Cup Italian Dressing, Italian Parsley

Notes

My Top Tips
♡ Buy the freshest produce for the best flavor. If red cherry tomatoes are not looking good but yellow are, buy the yellow.
♡ Prep everything in advance and assemble the salad just prior to serving it to keep it fresh.
Substitutions & Variations
  • Substitute Feta or Goat Cheese. Instead of marinated mozzarella pearls, you can substitute feta cheese or goat cheese. Both add a creamy element to the salad.
  • Substitute Pickled Red Onion. For another pickled element, you can substitute this for the fresh red onion.
  • Budget-Friendly Version. Cut the quantity of black olives to one-half cup and slice them in half. Omit the pepperoncini and the marinated mozzarella pearls.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Because this is a garden-type salad, it really can't be prepared in advance of serving it. But you can measure and prep the ingredients earlier in the day and refrigerate them.
Dressed salad doesn't really keep well. But if the salad is undressed, you can store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for a day.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 683mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6786IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

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I'm Jan and I love to cook for friends and family. Over the years I have learned that many recipes are related and if you learn to make one delicious dish and you can make many more. So come join me as I chart recipes and ingredients and share my favorite dishes.

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