Artichoke, Roasted Red Pepper, Red Onion & Parm Italian Salad

This salad reminds me of one of my favorite salads served at a local Italian restaurant in the Kansas City area. It is so simple to make and packs a satisfying bite.

I use canned artichoke hearts, roast my own red peppers (but you can definitely buy them), and I freshly grate parmesan cheese. You can use pre-grated cheese but I think freshly grated always tastes better, especially in this recipe.

For the dressing, I use Olive Garden’s regular salad dressing. You can definitely make your own Italian vinaigrette, but this dressing gives me the taste that I love with the components of the salad. Make sure your greens are as dry as possible, otherwise it will dilute the taste of the dressing.

You will need:

• 4 heaping cups romaine lettuce, washed, dried well, and chopped
• 4 heaping cups green leaf lettuce, washed and chopped
• 1/2 can quartered artichoke hearts, then each quarter halved
• 1/4 of a medium red onion, sliced
• 1/8 cup roasted red pepper strips, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated or finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup Olive Garden regular salad dressing, or a zesty Italian salad dressing
• Freshly ground pepper

Steps:

1. Toss both of the washed, dried, and chopped lettuces together, and add to your serving bowl.
2. Top with artichokes, followed by red onions, roasted peppers, and FRESHLY grated parmesan 🙂 .
3. Cover and refrigerate, if using later, otherwise top with salad dressing and freshly ground pepper, toss and serve. Enjoy!

Kali Orexi!