Best Fresh Italian Green Salad
The Best Fresh Italian Green Salad is crisp, crunchy, and bursting with flavor. This recipe is a simple method for layering all the ingredients, then chilling the salad to let the flavors meld before tossing with vinegar for the perfect bite. Delish!
Best Fresh Italian Green Salad
When it comes to making a fresh Italian green salad, my husband does it best! For many years, my husband has enjoyed making our mom’s fresh Italian green salad. And every time he makes it, everyone goes bonkers and asks for the recipe.
So today, we are finally sharing our family’s favorite fresh Italian green salad. And it is the BEST.
It is a simple recipe – yet the result is FABULOUS! The salad always turns out amazing – it’s always cold, crisp, fresh, and loaded with flavor. Never soggy. It’s so good -everyone usually goes back for more!
The Best Fresh Italian Green Salad always turns out perfect every time.
His method is simple. He layers most of the ingredients in the salad bowl, with the fresh greens added last. Then he tops it with pieces of avocado, raisins, and crumbled feta cheese. The salad is immediately transferred to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Then just before we serve it, he adds the vinegar.
If you love Italian salads? Be sure to try our Arugula Artichoke Burrata Salad and Italian Tomato Salad (Marinated), next! These are also delicious and favorite salads on our site.
Ok, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!
Ingredients Needed for Best Fresh Italian Green Salad
For our Italian green salad recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 slices from a large red onion – chopped
- 1 large ripe tomato – chopped
- *bunch of fresh basil leaves (missing in the photos)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/3 of an English cucumber – sliced
- 2 heads of Romaine lettuce – chopped
- 2 to 3 cups baby arugula
- 1 small avocado – scooped into pieces
- 1/3 cup of raisins (white or red)
- 2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese (this is optional)
- 1+1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
How to Make Our Best Fresh Italian Green Salad?
If this is your first time making an Italian green salad? No worries, we have step-by-step photos for you to easily follow and enjoy making this salad for years to come. Plus, our printable recipe card is located at the bottom.
- First, grab a large salad bowl. Then pour the olive oil into the bottom of the salad bowl. Chop up the slices of red onion and add them to the salad bowl over the olive oil.
2. Next, dice up the ripe tomato and add that on top of the red onion and olive oil. *Then, toss on top with some fresh basil leaves (our apologies, missing from photo).
3. Toss over the tomatoes with the garlic powder and then with salt. Then chop the heads of Romaine lettuce and toss them into a salad spinner. Place the salad spinner into your sink and fill with water. Add the arugula leaves, rinse both the lettuce and arugula, then spin out all the water.
4. Next, slice the English cucumber and toss it on top of the diced tomatoes. Then top that with the cleaned Romaine lettuce and arugula.
5. Lastly, top with raisins, chunks of avocado, and crumbled feta cheese. Then transfer the bowl into your refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
6. Just before serving, drizzle over the salad with red wine vinegar. Toss with salad spoons. Be sure to get the bottom of the bowl and toss a few times to mix all the ingredients well. Taste the salad. Then serve!
Recipe Tips!
Whenever we make this salad, we sometimes add other veggies, usually whatever we have on hand and in season. We have made it with these additional veggies and fruits:
- Baby Seedless Colorful Peppers – and we thinly slice them.
- Fennel – we also slice or chop it.
- Dried cherries – instead of raisins.
- Granny Smith Apples – chopped during the fall season.
- Endives – and we chop them.
- Jarred Marinated Artichoke Hearts – occasionally, when we have them on hand.
- Dried cranberries – especially during the fall season.
- Bartlett Pears – also chopped, and during the fall season.
Also, you can add white balsamic vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar.
Storing Leftovers
The best way to store any leftover salad is to transfer it to a sealed container, but drain all the vinaigrette. This way, the salad will stay crisp for 24 hours. After that, it will become too soggy.
Craving More Salad Recipes?
Try some of these delicious, crispy salads from 2 Sisters Recipes:
- Arugula Watermelon Granola Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Easy Butter Beans Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad (Keto)
- Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers and Peppers
Don’t forget! If you try our Best Fresh Italian Green Salad recipe, let us know and leave a comment! We’d love to hear from you and tell us about your experiences. It not only helps our readers who read them, but it also helps us. And, thank you! 🙂
Best Fresh Italian Green Salad
The Best Fresh Italian Green Salad is crisp, crunchy, and bursting with flavor. This recipe is a simple method for layering all the ingredients, then chilling the salad to let the flavors meld before tossing with vinegar for the perfect bite. Delish!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 slices from a large red onion - chopped
- 1 large ripe tomato - chopped
- bunch of fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/3 of an English cucumber - sliced
- 2 heads of Romaine lettuce - chopped
- 2 to 3 cups baby arugula
- 1 small avocado - scooped into pieces
- 1/3 cup of raisins (white or red)
- 2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese (this is optional)
- 1 + 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Instructions
1. First, grab a large salad bowl. Then pour the olive oil into the bottom of the salad bowl. Chop up the slices of red onion and add them to the salad bowl over the olive oil.
2. Next, dice up the ripe tomato and add that on top of the red onion and olive oil. *Then, toss on top with some fresh basil leaves.
3. Toss over the tomatoes with the garlic powder and then with salt. Then chop the heads of Romaine lettuce and toss them into a salad spinner. Place the salad spinner into your sink and fill with water. Add the arugula leaves, rinse both the lettuce and arugula, and spin out all the water.
4. Next, slice the English cucumber and toss it on top of the diced tomatoes. Then top that with the cleaned Romaine lettuce and arugula.
5. Lastly, top with raisins, chunks of avocado, and crumbled feta cheese. Then transfer the bowl into your refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
6. Just before serving, drizzle over the salad with the red wine vinegar. Toss with salad spoons. Be sure to get the bottom of the bowl and toss a few times to mix all the ingredients well. Taste the salad and adjust for salt. Then serve!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 servings Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 10.8gSaturated Fat: 4.1gCholesterol: 18mgCarbohydrates: 20.9gFiber: 3.5gSugar: 8.6gProtein: 7.5g
Have a Happy & Healthy Day!
Thanks for stopping by! xo Anna and Liz
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Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
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Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!