This Antipasto Salad has a combination of classic Italian cold cuts and marinated veggies over crisp chopped romaine lettuce and tossed in a flavorful dressing.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Antipasto Salad Recipe

• Savory Italian salami, prosciutto and creamy mozzarella cheese
• Crisp chopped romaine with juicy cherry tomatoes
• Marinated artichokes, roasted peppers and Kalamata olives
• Tossed in a flavorful homemade dressing
• Easy Keto weeknight dinner
• Made in just 15 minutes

You’ll truly blown away with how all of the flavors in this low carb antipasto salad come together! You have the saltiness of the meats and olives, tanginess of the artichokes, the creaminess of the cheese and the bright burst of the tomatoes and pepperoncini!

If there is such thing as the perfect salad, this one would win hands down!

Anytime I am asked to bring a salad to a get-together, Antipasto Salad is my go-to. It’s not only amazingly delicious, the colors are gorgeous, making for a beautiful presentation. It has proven to be a hit time after time.

The ingredients in this easy Keto salad are quintessential Italian charcuterie board treats, that I’ve been enjoying long before charcuterie boards were a thing. If you enjoy this combination of flavors, try this Italian Antipasti Platter or these Italian Antipasti Skewers.

🛒 Ingredients for Keto Antipasto Salad

• Romaine lettuce
• Soppressata
• Prosciutto
• Kalamata olives
• Tomatoes
• Mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoncini
• Marinated artichoke hearts
• Roasted red peppers
• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Garlic
• Dijon mustard
• Dried oregano
• Salt
• Pepper

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• Mixing bowl
• Serving bowl
• Bullet blender or immersion blender

🔪 How to Make Antipasto Salad

To Make the Dressing

Add all of the dressing ingredients into the bowl of a bullet blender or immersion blender.

Blend until the ingredients are well combined and the dressing is emulsified.  Set aside while you make the salad.

How to Make Antipasto Salad

Wash, dry and chop the romaine lettuce.

Place the lettuce in a large bowl.

Add in the halved tomatoes, chopped soppressata and mozzarella pearls in rows just off centered.

Next, add the prosciutto and roasted red pepper strips.

Add the chopped marinated artichoke hearts, halved kalamata olives and sliced pepperoncini on either side.

Top with a sprinkling of the (optional) fresh parsley or basil and a drizzle of the dressing.

💡 Tips for Making Antipasto Salad

• Though this isn’t called a chopped salad, it is much easier to enjoy if you cut the ingredients in similar sized pieces.
• This salad makes a beautiful presentation if you arrange the toppings in rows or groupings. It takes just a few minutes and is worth the extra effort.
• This antipasto can easily be a make ahead salad. You can either put it all together, cover and chill it in the fridge or chop all the ingredients and store them separately until you are ready.
• Don’t dress the salad until right before serving.
• If you don’t have a bullet blender or immersion blender for the dressing, you can use a small mixing bowl and a whisk instead. Just be sure to grate the garlic, instead of giving it a rough chop. Then add all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, then slowly drizzle it in while whisking the entire time. This will help the dressing emulsify.
• One of my favorite tricks is using the brine or juice that marinated toppings are packed in. They are loaded with flavor and by simply adding them to your dressing, you have a unique and very tasty salad dressing. They can also be used as brine, which I save my pickle juice for as well. Free flavor!

☑️ Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for a few days.

🍴 What to Serve Antipasto Salad with

This is the type of salad that can be served on the size of most any main dish, but here are some that I really prefer. I do tend to lean towards the Italian dishes like:

• Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
• Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken Piccata
• Chicken Marsala
• Tuscan Chicken

🔄 Substitutions and Additions

• Omit the bruschetta and add this grilled chicken, grilled shrimp or steak bites to make it a complete meal.
• If you prefer peppers with a little more heat, you can substitute with chopped cherry peppers.
• Sun-dried tomatoes are another great addition to this salad.
• If you can’t find soppressata, you can use Genoa salami, pepperoni, mortadella or any other Italian cold cuts that you can find.
• If you want to use a cheese with more flavor, instead of the mozzarella, you can use shaved parmesan, asiago or Romano cheese.
• If you don’t like Kalamata olives, you can use regular black or green olives instead.
• Add in some Keto Marinated Mushrooms for added flavor.
• If romaine lettuce isn’t your thing, you can use arugula, butter, Boston, spring mix or any other lettuce that you like instead.
• These Quick Pickled Red Onions are also a great addition!
• For added richness, add a drizzle of balsamic reduction over the top.
• If you dare, add some finely chopped anchovies and add about 1/2 teaspoon of the anchovy oil in the dressing for even more flavor.

How Long Does Antipasto Salad Last in the Fridge?

This salad makes a great meal prep idea. You can store leftovers for up to 3 days in the fridge. Before serving, give it a good toss to redistribute the dressing.

What Does Antipasto Salad Mean?

Antipasto is the plural form of antipasti, meaning “before the meal.”

What’s the ingredients in an antipasto salad?

Usually served as an appetizer an antipasto salad consists of different Italian meats, cheeses, peppers and olives. It’s truly a salad full of all the best hors d’oeuvres all rolled into one amazing salad.

While this is typically served before a meal, with all the delicious meats and cheeses, you can certainly serve this as a quick lunch or light dinner.

What is the difference between antipasto and antipasti?

Antipasto, which translates to “before the meal” refers to one single appetizer or dish that precedes all others.  Antipasti that refers to a platter containing many different appetizers.

Does antipasto salad contain pasta?

In some cases, like in this Italian Pasta Salad it does, but for those following a low carb diet, we simply omit the pasta and replace it with lettuce instead.

🍽️ More Keto Salad Recipes

• Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction
• Grilled Shrimp Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
• Keto ” Big Mac” Cheeseburger Salad
• Asian Grilled Chicken Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Keto Taco Salad
• Classic Cobb with Ranch Dressing

*Originally published on January 18, 2021, updated on February 6, 2024 with improvements to the recipe, new photos, new recipe information and helpful tips.