What ingredients are in an italian salad?

When it comes to italian salads, the possibilities are truly endless. From simple mixtures of greens to fully decked out antipasto offerings, an Italian salad can comprise whatever ingredients you desire. With seemingly endless variations, it's no surprise that this delicious side dish has become popular all over the world.

Whether served as a starter or a main course, Italian salads are sure to delight. Typically, they're made with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as different cheeses and meats or fish.

A classic garden salad includes lettuce or other greens like spinach or arugula. To give your salad more flavor and texture, you can add cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots and cucumbers. Olives provide an additional hit of briny goodness while onions add crunch and flavor. Feta cheese crumbled on top provides a salty finish to your salad.

Italian salads go beyond basic tomatoes and lettuce and can include more exotic ingredients including artichoke hearts and marinated mushrooms. Fresh basil leaves also make for a fragrant addition and you could even throw in some sun-dried tomatoes for balance as well as added complexity to the mix. There's no need only to limit yourself to vegetables either – think about adding slices of chicken, ham or tuna for protein-rich additions to your salad dish too.

For the final touch, simply drizzle over some olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice before topping with freshly cracked black pepper or grated cheese such as Parmesan or Pecorino Romano – both Mediterranean delicacies that taste wonderful when combined with salads!