The Italian Inspired Spring Salad is a mix of delicious flavours. There is fresh salad, creamy avocado, charcuterie and best served with crusty bread.
I’ve recently become the food news writer at Time & Leisure magazine for the Wimbledon, Wandsworth, Putney and Barnes issue. YAY. It’s been so much fun and I love it too. Getting to come up with new recipes and see them in print in my local area has been very exciting. I have been working on a series of recipes and my favourite which was featured in the April issue was the Italian inspired salad. A mix of my favourite things altogether and ready for the summer. This would make a wonderful starter for a dinner party.
Italian Inspired Spring Salad
If I ate this everyday I think I’d be a very happy girl.
Plus I think it’s mostly healthy right?
Italian Salad with Salami
Adding salami to an Italian salad is a game changer. The rich taste of the cured meat really works with the crunch of the baby leaf salad. There is something lovely about the mix of flavours in this salad. I love the soft cool avocado with the lemon dressing of the tomatoes. The tomatoes which are roasted taste incredible and the roasting really brings out a wonderful flavour.
Italian Salad Ingredient List
There are some flavours and colours you have to have with an Italian salad. These include green avocado, white mozzarella and red tomatoes. From there the flavours can go up to include fresh lemon, rich olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Adding Italian cured meats and charcuterie can help add a richer flavour. I really like the added slightly salty flavours to go with the lovely mix of other iconic tastes in this salad.
Italian Inspired Spring Salad
Ingredients
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove of garlic
- Fresh Thyme
- Sprinkle of dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- Red Chilli optional
- 200 g mozzarella
- 2 ripe avocados
- 200 g baby leaf salad
- 10 mint leaves
- Medium sprig of fresh thyme and oregano
- 200 g Parma ham
- 200 g thinly sliced Italian salami
- For the Dressing: 8 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of smooth French mustard
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200° C.
- Chop the tomatoes into quarters and place in an oven proof dish. Finely chop the garlic and chilli and mix into the tomatoes.
- Sprinkle over the salt, pepper and sugar.
- Drizzle the oil over and cook for 30 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Make the complete salad a few hours before serving.
- In a large serving bowl mix the baby leaf salad with mint and thyme.
- Rip apart the mozzarella and stud the salad with the pieces.
- Pull apart the Parma Ham and Salami and add to the dish.
- Peel the avocado, remove the stone and chop up into bite size pieces.
- Put them in a separate bowl and lightly coat in lemon juice to stop them browning.
- Add to the salad.
- Spoon out the tomatoes and add them to the dish.
- Keep the juice in the bottom of the oven dish and add the other dressing ingredients to it. Whisk it until combined.
- Add a little extra sugar or lemon to taste.
- Keep the dressing separate until ready to serve and then drizzle it over the salad.
- Serve with fresh crusty bread.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Great to see you blogging again Sisley. That looks like a gorgeous salad, very much my kind of meal when the sun shines.
oh and congratulations on your job, you deserve success!
Thank you so much Janice, Really loving it and leaning so much!
Thank you! It’s good to be back. It’s far too long!
This looks like my idea salad! Yum! I had a balsamic mushroom, cherry tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella salad at the weekend – perfect for this weather x
I love the idea of mushrooms in it too! Would be a great addition. I will have to try it.
Congratulations in getting your work published! That’s great! It looks delicious and definitely healthy enough to eat every day!
thank you Kerry! It is a bit surreal but I’m loving it. Getting to make my favourite dishes isn’t a bad perk too!