Whenever I find myself at a restaurant or a family party that serves an Italian style chopped salad, I absolutely devour it. It’s one of my favorite types of salads and I thought it’d be fun to make a unique version with seasonal, crunchy brussels sprouts instead of lettuce. Say hello to crunchy flavor!
This brussels sprouts salad involves shredded brussels sprouts (of course!), tomatoes, chickpeas, provolone and parmesan cheese, olives, red onion, pepperoncini and MORE. It’s wrapped together in a light Italian style dressing that you’ll fall in love with as soon as you take one bite.
What’s in an Italian chopped salad?
You know that giant chopped salad you get from California Pizza Kitchen or Macaroni Grill? Yeah, I’m talking about that salad.
Italian chopped salads are made with a crunchy base like different types of lettuces, radishes, radicchio or cabbage, veggies like tomatoes, onion and even artichoke hearts, chickpeas and meats like ham or salami, tangy pepperoncini and topped off with cheeses like mozzarella, parmesan or provolone. They’re then tossed with a light, tangy dressing to coat everything.
Talk about a big bowl of deliciousness.
Ingredients in this Italian chopped salad with brussels sprouts
My take on a classic Italian chopped salad mixes it up with a shredded brussels sprouts base that marinates and soaks up all of the amazing flavors with tons of crunch. Every topping in this gorgeous salad adds a new flavor and texture element that you’re going to love. Here’s what you’ll need:
- For the dressing: you’ll need olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar or honey, garlic, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.
- Brussels sprouts: the base that holds up all of the delicious toppings! Freshly shredded/chopped brussels sprouts.
- Protein: we’re adding a full can of chickpeas, Genoa salami, cubed provolone cheese and shredded parmesan for plenty of protein and a tasty saltiness.
- Veggies: this salad also has a full cup of grape tomatoes and some sliced red onion for crunch.
- Special toppings: don’t forget the sliced olives and pepperoncini! A little kick of Italian flavor.
What is a pepperoncini?
Although “pepperoncini” sounds like a cute little pepperoni, it’s actually a type of pepper. Pepperoncini are yellow-green and look similar to banana peppers, but are thinner and often a bit hotter in terms of spice (some banana peppers have virtually no spice). If you’re sensitive to spice or aren’t a fan of banana peppers, feel free to omit the pepperoncini in this recipe.
Customize your salad
Missing a few things from the list or looking to DIY? No problem! Here are some easy ingredient swaps you can make in this Italian chopped brussels sprouts salad:
- Swap your protein. Customize your protein by using grilled chicken instead of salami or chickpeas. You could even swap in some crispy bacon or ham for the salami.
- Make it vegetarian. Simply omit the salami to keep this salad vegetarian.
- Go vegan. Looking to make it vegan? Omit the salami & cheeses and enjoy as-is.
- Pasta party. Get a little wild and add some cooked elbow, bowties or cavatappi noodles!
How to chop brussels sprouts for salad
- The easiest way to chop or shred brussels sprouts is by using your food processor. Simply add the slicing attachment to your food processor and pulse until the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced.
- If you don’t have a food processor you can thinly slice the brussels sprouts with a sharp knife. Just make sure to remove the stem and any outer yellow leaves.
Italian chopped salad in 4 easy steps
- Make your dressing. Start by whisking together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Shred the brussels. You’ll then want to shred all of those brussels sprouts with a food processor or sharp knife.
- Marinate the brussels. Add your dressing to the brussels sprouts by themselves so that the soak up all that flavor.
- Chop & toss. Chop the rest of your toppings, add them to your bowl of marinated brussels sprouts and serve!
Meal prep this salad
This Italian chopped brussels sprouts salad is great for making ahead of time. Simply make the dressing, shred your brussels, chop all of those toppings and store them in containers until you’re ready to put it all together.
Storing tips
Got leftovers? Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
More salad recipes you’ll love
Winter Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Cabbage Salad
Vibrant Curry Cashew Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Spicy Cashew Thai Chickpea Broccoli Salad
I hope you love this flavorful, easy Italian chopped brussels sprouts salad! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Italian Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad
Gorgeous Italian chopped salad recipe loaded with shredded brussels sprouts, chickpeas, veggies, salami, olives, pepperoncini and delicious cheeses. This flavorful and easy Italian chopped brussels sprouts salad is tossed in a light Italian dressing and makes the perfect hearty lunch or fresh dinner!
Ingredients
- For the Italian dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar or honey, depending on how sweet you like your dressing
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the salad:
- 1 pound brussels sprouts, ended trimmed and outer leaves removed
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
- 4-6 oz thinly sliced Genoa salami, cut in half or julienned
- 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup pitted sliced kalamata or sliced black olives
- ¼ cup sliced pepperoncinis
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup cubed provolone cheese
- ¼ cup shaved or shredded parmesan
Instructions
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Make the dressing: in a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar/honey, garlic, dijon, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
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Next, shred the brussels sprouts by using a food processor with the slicing attachment and pulse until the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced. If you don’t have a food processor, feel free to use a sharp knife to thinly slice.
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Add shredded brussels to a large bowl and pour the dressing all over. Next use a tongs to coat the brussels with the dressing. Let the dressing sit and marinate the brussels for 30 minutes. While the brussels marinate and soak up the dressing, you can chop and prep all your other ingredients.
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Next add in the chickpeas, salami, tomatoes, olives, pepperoncinis, red onion, provolone cheese cubes, shaved parmesan. Toss to combine. Serve immediately with extra black pepper. Serves 4 to 6.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to keep this recipe vegetarian by skipping the salami.
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
47 comments
I love chopped salads- can’t wait to make this one!!
Me too! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Thank you for the nice recipe, definitely try it soon.
Hope you love it!
Can’t wait to make this! These are my favorite kind of salads and this one looks amazing. How long do you expect it to keep in the fridge?
They’re the best! About 2-3 days (check the full post for meal prep & storing tips!)
Made this salad yesterday. We all loved it! Excellent!!! I added cucumber avocado and boiled egg instead of cheese and meat. Very versatile salad. Thank you so much for a another great recipe!
Love it! So glad everyone enjoyed!
This was great. My husband and I truly enjoyed.
I’m so glad!
Such an easy and delicious dinner! Would be great paired with pizza or pasta, but ate alone and it was a filling salad. Will definitely be making again.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Sooooo good! Never thought of using Brussels as the base for an Italian salad before this. Game changer!
Yum! This was delicious.
This was so easy to make and delicious. Could easily add more protein for a more substantial dinner or lunch. This is going to be in our rotation!.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Loved this salad! The dressing is amazing (used just oregano because I didnt have Italian seasoning), The addition of chick peas is awesome! And using the brussels keep the salad from getting soggie.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
This was delicious and filling! Ate this for lunches this week. I was pleasantly surprised with how long this salad held up on the fridge even after it was dressed. Will definitely be making this again.
I love chopped salads and this one was delicious!
So happy to hear that!
This recipe is my new favorite way to enjoy brussel sprouts! I love a chopped salad and this one brings the flavor for sure. I made the dressing tangier (more vinegar/less oil) and subbed turkey pepperoni for the salami. Delicious!!
So happy to hear that! Sounds delicious 🙂
Been dreaming of making this recipe since I saw it! Trader Joe’s has shredded Brussels sprouts in their bagged lettuce section that make every sprout salad 10 times easier 😀😀😀
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
This salad is amazing! So many flavors, and it seriously tastes like an Italian sandwich in salad form. I couldn’t find provolone cheese in cubes or a block at my grocer, so I got fontina and it was amazing! I found the dressing to be a little too light so I added more vinegar. Thank you for the recipe!
Aren’t the flavors amazing? Glad you enjoyed!
This salad was a hit! I made it for a family gathering and it was loved by everyone. I had to make more the next day for my teenage son. He said its his new favorite salad. My family from Louisiana said it reminded her of muffuletta and could be used on sandwiches as well!
So happy to hear that!!
So simple and SO GOOD!
So glad you liked it!
This has become my favourite salad, thank you so much, AK team! It is very tasty both as a side, and as a filling meal! I use shredded cabbage instead of brussels sprouts, and prosciutto instead of salami. It is gorgeous!!! <3
So happy to hear that! Such a great lunch 🙂
I get so bored with brussel sprouts aside from roasting them. This is an awesome recipe both my husband and I love it so full of flavor one of our favourite go to meals and can customize it so many ways!!
So glad you found this one! You’ll have to try my brussels sprouts spaghetti or warm brussels sprouts salad next time 🙂
I love this recipe! I can’t wait to make it!
Hope you love it!!
A-MAZING! Love your recipes and content!
I’m so glad! Thanks, Leanne 🙂
This salad is my go to for get togethers! It’s always a huge hit and everyone always requests I bring it. I love adding a mixture of green, kalamata, & black olives.
Love that! One of our favs, too 🙂
Delicious salad!
Glad you enjoyed!
Wanting to make this delicious looking salad but with cabbage. Do you think it would have a similar flavor to the Brussels Sprouts?
Hi, Laura! I think that cabbage would be great in here. The flavor would be similar, yes. Just be sure to slice it really thinly or use a mandoline or food processor!
I love this recipe!! I make it at the beginning of the week and have it for lunch each day – it tastes better each day. When I am feeling lazy I just use spinach and arugula instead of shredded brussel sprouts. Good both ways !
Those are great swaps, so glad you’re loving this salad!