Italian Beef Chopped Salad
A Classic Sandwich Becomes A Salad
Italian Beef Chopped Salad features everything you like about a classic Italian beef sandwich recreated to be veggie forward and delicious. It’s made with shaved Italian beef, mozzarella, and a vegetable giardiniera mix then all of this is topped with a vinegar and oil based dressing with some herb and beefy notes to take it to the next level.
I had the vision for this salad for a LONG time and I FINALLY put all my ideas together last Sunday for dinner and was NOT disappointed. The dressing is wonderful and unique and the vegetable relish that goes on top is even tasty on its own.
All of this is put together with some deli Italian beef and mozzarella cheese for an unforgettable experience!
Beefy Notes
One ingredient that makes the dressing unique and delicious is this Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base. This adds GREAT flavor to the vinaigrette that you use to top this salad.
It IS salty, so I suggest adding a little at a time to the dressing so that it is the proper amount of salt taste that is to YOUR liking.
It’s also important to note that the salt flavor will get stronger as the dressing sits, mixed. If you make the dressing ahead of time, be sure to keep this in mind when adding the bouillon.
If you do not want to use the bouillon, you can also add two to three tablespoons of A1 Steak Sauce. I use steak sauce in the dressing for my Grilled Steak and Potato Salad.
The A1 has notes of orange and raisin which makes it is a good base for a dressing for meaty salad.
The Relish
In Chicago you order an Italian beef sandwich with mild or hot giardiniera. It is a relish made with peppers, celery, and sometimes cauliflower.
I wanted to make a salad topper that was similar to a jarred giardiniera but I did not want to have it be AS pickled as this relish can sometimes be.
This relish came out GREAT. Truth be told I could eat this on its own.
It was fantastic on top of the salad with the combination of the beef and mozzarella. I would suggest making this a day before as the longer it sits, the better.
If you do not have the time to make ahead, it does end up being just fine if you make it right before.
Room Temp The Dressing
If you make the salad dressing ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, the olive oil may solidify. I add this note because I left this salad at home for Mister to eat this week while I am in Florida and he was alarmed at the dressing.
All you have to do is bring the dressing out an hour before you want to eat it, let it get to room temp, and give it a good mix.
Measurements Are A Suggestion
I gave the measurements for the dressing but these are always a suggestion. I personally like my dressings to be a little vinegar forward so I use more vinegar than oil.
You can do what you like. In this instance add everything a little at a time, taste, and adjust.
There is NO wrong answer when it comes to making the dressing.
Italian Beef Chopped Salad Recipe
Italian Beef Chopped Salad is a new twist on a classic sandwich. This salad has a great vegetable mix using bell pepper, cauliflower, red onion, and celery. Shaved beef, diced mozzarella, and a delicious vinaigrette made with beef bouillon makes the perfect Summer salad that is a meal in itself.
Ingredients
- 1 head of Iceberg Lettuce
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
- 3 to 4 Celery Ribs, finely diced
- 1 medium to small sized Red Onion, finely diced
- 1 to 1.5 cups of finely diced Cauliflower
- 1 lb. of shaved Italian Beef (deli style)
- 1/2 lb. of thinly sliced Mozzarella, diced
- 10 to 12 Peperoncini Peppers + the juice from the peppers
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Dried Italian Herbs *divided
- 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon of Onion Powder
- 1/2 cup of Red Wine Vinegar + 2 tablespoons (divided)
- 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons of Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon of Beef Bouillon *see post, I used Better Than Bouillon brand **can be adjusted to preference
- 1 bag of Texas Toast style Zesty Italian Croutons *pictured in post
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- You may want to make this "giardiniera" a day before but it is not necessary. Finely dice the onion, bell pepper, celery, and cauliflower and add to a bowl. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the juice from the peperoncini peppers. Add 2 tablespoons of red wine vingegar, a decent sprinkle of salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), and a sprinkle of black pepper. Then add about 3 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs. Toss this all together and let this hang out in the fridge overnight. You can make is and serve the same day but ideally it would be great if it was able to sit for a couple of hours mixed together before using. You can adjust the seasonings to your preference, add and taste, using my measurements as a guide.
- Wash and chop the iceberg lettuce and add to a large salad bowl.
- When you get the deli Italian beef, ask for it to be SHAVED. Then finely chop and top the lettuce with the beef.
- Dice the mozzarella cheese and add to the lettuce.
- Add the peperoncini peppers to the top and then the croutons.
- Add the veggie "giardiniera" mix you made. Sprinkle the whole top of the salad with some of the dried Italian herb mix. Add the croutons right before serving.
- To make the dressing, mix the olive oil, remaining red wine vinegar, maple syrup, and beef bouillon to a dressing shaker or a bowl and mix together well. Add the remaining dried Italian herb mix, onion, and garlic powder. *add the bouillon a little at a time and taste so that the salt level is to your liking. You can make the dressing a day or two ahead of time and leave it in the fridge. The olive oil may solidify, when ready to serve just let the dressing sit on the counter for a bit before then mix.
- You can add the dressing and toss the salad or serve it and let people add their own.