An Italian Salad is almost a meal in itself. Romaine lettuce loaded with hearty chick peas, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, spicy onions and pepperoncini, this Italian salad recipe is a delightful refreshing side dish or light main.
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Since I was a wee babe, ChiChi’s Italian Restaurant has been a family favorite. A local legend in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys of Southern California, ChiChi’s is a place that everyone knows. And I’m not talking about the Mexican food chain.
(Just for the record ChiChi means “little bird” in Italian.)
We have a photo of me at 2 weeks old sitting atop a table at ChiChi’s, it was so much a part of my childhood, I started early. Family albums include other shots from birthdays, late nights after high school basketball games, and other special events, like when we announced we were having a baby. ChiChi’s holds a host of memories for me.
Everything at ChiChi’s is fresh and made to order. The pasta are homemade and the pizza is hand stretched. Mmmm…. I want some right now!
One of my ultimate favorite things to order at ChiChi’s (besides “a pepperoni and mushroom pizza, stretched, and cut the old-fashioned way”) would be their Italian Salad. Oh my! Soooo yummy! Unfortunately, distance and money stand in the way of my indulging to my heart’s content.
After years of experimenting, I’ve seen great success copying ChiChi’s Italian Salad at home. Yeehaw! And I’m going to share the secret with you. The salad part was never hard to mimic, but the dressing? Ah, that’s another story.
Commenters over the years have debated some of my choices and plating methods. I can only guess that perhaps there is some slight variation among ChiChi’s locations or that our memories sometimes betray us.
However, my brother brought a few containers of dressing to me at the start of this copycat journey in 2009, and I was able to take apart the flavors a little. I’ve also had in-depth conversations with Jerry, the kitchen manager, during visits back home over the years.
The trick is to use vegetable oil, milder than olive oil, and to add a pinch of sugar if your red wine vinegar is more sour than sweet. The cheese is, indeed, a mixture of mozzarella and jack. You can’t really shred the cheese like “cheese worms” as we called them — to the uninitiated, ChiChi’s shredded cheese look like cylinders not true shreds — but you can mix the two varieties of cheese and it works out fine.
If you’re a Valley local, or even if you’re not, you can enjoy this delicious salad at home, for a fraction of the cost. Now that’s one good. cheap. eat.
Italian salad recipe ingredients
- Dressing: For this homemade dressing I combined red wine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, dried basil and dried oregano.
- Veggies: We toss together chopped romaine, tomato wedges, and sliced onion.
- Chickpeas: Or garbanzo beans as they are also known as.
- Cheeses: We love a combination of mozzarella and pepper jack cheese. Before serving we like to sprinkle on some parmesan cheese as well.
- Pepperocini: This salad would be the classic I grew up without the pepperocini that get tossed in.
How to make this Italian salad:
- Make the dressing: You want to start by combining the vinegar, sugar, and spices and whisk these to combine. Then add the oil to combine.
- Make the salad: In your salad bowl you want to toss together all of the salad ingredients.
- Drizzle on the dressing: When you are ready to serve, go ahead and drizzle on some of that dressing you whisked up earlier.
- Add more cheese: Because you can. No one will mind. A little parmesan cheese to top it and you are allset. Toss it all together before serving it up.
Italian salad variations:
- Add a protein. This salad is wonderful as it but feel free to add some cooked chicken, canned tuna, steak, shrimp, even tofu! And if you have any leftover proteins, maybe leftover turkey, it’s always a great way to use it up.
- Vary the cheese. I told you my favorites that I grew up on and use but you can swap it out for what you have on hand. Cheddar would be a great substitution!
- Extra veggies. Toss in some sliced cucumbers, radishes, or bell peppers for more color and crunch!
- Other jarred wonders. Like olives, roasted red peppers, or artichokes would be delicious.
- Fresh herbs. We used dried herbs in the dressing, but you can sprinkle on chopped fresh herbs – basil or parsley would be wonderful on the salad or in the dressing itself.
- Croutons! Everyone loves croutons, don’t they? Especially if they are homemade croutons.
Can I prep this salad ahead of time?
Absolutely. Prepare the salad and dressing separately and store in the refrigerator the day before. Then right before serving, toss the two together.
HOW TO MAKE THIS GOOD AND CHEAP:
A salad with cheese, homemade dressing, and fresh veggies tastes like a million bucks, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. The cheese is the price item in this recipe. Watch for sales and stock up.
- Freeze the cheese. Stretch your cheese purchase by freezing it in small containers. This will extend the shelf life of your purchase and help you enjoy it for several weeks to come.
- Make your own dressings. Bottled dressings are either way too expensive or full of junk. I love to make my own dressings. Not only are they quick and economical to prepare, but they allow me to control the ingredients that I use.
HOW I MAKE THIS RECIPE EASY:
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
- Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
- salad spinner – I love this large model salad spinner with a salad serving bowl.
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Italian Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- pinch granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup neutral oil such as avocado or sunflower
- 1 head romaine lettuce rinsed and torn into bite sized pieces
- 1 roma tomato cut into wedges
- ½ cup garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 2 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded) (½ cup)
- 2 oz jack cheese (shredded) (½ cup)
- ¼ onion sliced
- 6 pepperoncini sliced
Instructions
- In small jar or mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Whisk in the oil to blend. Set aside
- In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, tomato, garbanzo beans, mozzarella cheese, monterey jack cheese, onion, and pepperoncini peppers.
- Drizzle some of the dressing over all. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Toss before serving. Serve additional dressing on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published October 8, 2009. Updated August 26, 2017.
John
Thank you Jessica! I was just talking to my Mom yesterday about needing to find out what ChiChi’s, and Lido for that matter use for their red wine vinegarette! This is so simple and will try soon!. We have been going to Chi-Chi’s religiously for all my life and I am now 48!. The best pizza and antipasto!!!!. Btw. Not sure how far away or where you are now but I have found that Italian Deli’s such as Monte Carlo/Pinocchio’s in Burbank, CA sell the “mozz worms” they are a must with the dressing!
Can’t wait to make it with my mom! I’ll bring the worms!!!!
John Atwater Village, CA
Jessica Fisher
Very cool! I’m in San Diego now, but I’ll let my sister know about the cheese worms in Burbank! Thanks for the tip.
Desiree
Anyone know how to make the cheese the same shape? The code I’ve found is Provel but that’s only in St. Louis
Jessica Fisher
ChiChi’s in So Cal has an odd cheese shredded. I’ve watched them shred it but have no idea how it works.
Brian
I worked at a Chi Chi’s for several years (a couple decades ago) but now live across the country… can’t get it when i want so I’ve tried my best to duplicate! A meat grinder attachment on my kitchen aid seems to work quite well for the “cheese worms”! It has to be a low moisture mozzarella, and works best blended with a jack cheese.
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for the tip!
Robin in North Idaho
This recipe is spot-on!!!!! A huge THANK YOU for this recipe! We moved away from southern CA a couple of years ago, and I have so missed the Chi Chi’s antipasto salad and pizza that we got quite often at the Northridge restaurant. It was always my favorite, but I never could figure out how to replicate it. Thanks to you, I’m able to enjoy it again.
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much.
Barb
I grew up in the SFV and my family have been ChiChis loyal customers forever. Best pizza anywhere. Sad when the Van Nuys restaurant closed. Now we go to Lidos any time I go visit. So excited to find this and can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for figuring it out. I’d put this stuff on anything. I have the best memories of dipping the pizza crust in the left over dressing.
Donna Tucker
I grew up in Newhall and have lived out of state for decades. However, whenever I visit the area, Chi Chi’s is a must have! This salad is my favorite and I make a lot of salads. I was thrilled to find your post yesterday! Made it for dinner last night alongside lasagne with homemade sauce and garlic bread, and every last tidbit was gone. Now if you could only duplicate the cheese pizza!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad you liked it. We’ve actually come close to the pizza. Try this Cheese Pizza with the Basic Pizza Dough.
Carly McAdam
After growing up in SCV and moving out of state I’m THRILLED to find this recipe! Thank you! Now if you could figure out the old blu cheese dressing, they recently changed it, my husband would be ecstatic!!! Take care!
Jessica Fisher
Try this one. ?
Katie
Hi! I’m so excited to see someone do a copycat of my absolute favorite salad ever! I just tried it though and all I could taste was the vegetable oil. Does the dressing need to sit and mesh together before trying it? Any tips? I’m dying to do a DIY antipasto salad!
Jessica Fisher
Have you ever ordered ChiChi’s dressing on the side? It usually is pretty oily, probably more oil than I use here. Keep in mind though that the oil will rise to the top. So, if you haven’t stirred or shaken well, you’ll get more oil when you pour than vinegar. If you like you can add more vinegar, but typical dressings are a 1 to 3 ratio, with the oil being the larger percentage. Hope that helps!
I haven’t been to ChiChi’s in years, but that salad is still my favorite. 🙂 Are you from Saugus or some other location?
Katie
Thanks for the tips! I must be using the wrong oil because it’s all I can taste…yikes!
I haven’t been to Chi Chi’s in years either but I’m hoping to get a salad when I visit California next month. I’m so excited! I’m originally from Palmdale but Chi Chi’s was always worth the trek!
Jessica Fisher
Did you end up getting ChiChi’s during your trip?
Matt
Wow. I can’t believe I found your posts and this article.
I grew up in Saugus. Going to Chi chis was a reward for months of good behavior.
I live in Orange County now but I make the drive to the chi chis in the valley just for the salad. I know. I’m not right in the head.
Gonna give this a try
Jessica Fisher
Fun! Keep in mind that some of the pics feature thinner shreds of cheese because that’s what I had when I took those photos. Folks have kinda freaked out about that. If you are a Saugus regular, then you probably remember Jerry. He’s worked there FOREVER. He and I talked about the cheese in-depthly. While we all think that the worm-style cut is unique to ChiChi’s, he said it’s just a mixture of mozzarella and monterey jack.
Katie
Sorry for the super late response to this! I just saw it ? I sure did! But let me just say thank you soooo much for this recipe because you NAILED the recipe and it has been a total lifesaver for myself and my mom and sister! Seriously, it is dead on and sooo delicious!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad you like it!
kris
Thanks for the recipe. Now if we could only do the cheese like they do!! Id be in heaven.
Jessica Fisher
I talked with the guy who’s been making pizza since I was a baby. He said it’s a combination of jack and mozzarella. 😉
Stephenie J Mahiai
Can you get recipe for the blue cheese? ??
Jessica Fisher
Try this one. 🙂
Candi @ Family Stamping and FOOD!
This is one of our favorite salad’s now… thanks so much for sharing it!!!