7 Hearty Italian Salads You Will Fall In Love With
Image Credit: Unsplash

Salads are one of the easiest and healthiest meals to make at home. These can be consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and modified as per one's preference as well. The best part about salads is the fact that one can use different types of healthy, seasonal, and colourful vegetables to assort a salad. 

Video Credits: YouTube

Not only will it make the salad look visually appetising but also enhance its nutritional value. Italian salads are known for their zesty aroma, an amalgamation of different flavours, and fresh vegetables. Here are some interesting Italian salads that you must try at restaurants or make at home for yourself.

* Summer Farro Salad

Farro is a type of grain that is very popular in Italy and is used in different types of dishes. Farro combined with some cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and fresh cucumbers, mix for the most fulfilling and refreshing summer salad ever. The fresh vegetables help in adding the most delightful crunch and a delicate array of flavours to the dish. One can try some similar salads at famous places like Mamagoto in New Delhi and Vegan Vogue in Bengaluru. 

Image Credits: Unsplash

* Big Italian Salad

A big Italian salad is a mixture of all the summer vegetables grown in Italy includes lettuce, onions, olives, cherry tomatoes, celery, and pepperoncini. All of these vegetables are mixed with the dressing made from olive oil, vinegar, and some flavoured mayonnaise. Simply add a little bit of salt and pepper for that savoury touch. The salad is crunchy, flavourful, and perfectly balanced. Big Italian salad is something that is served at a lot of Italian restaurants as well as salad places because of its widespread popularity.

* Insalata Salad

A classic Insalata salad in Italy simply means a big and hearty bowl of salad that is filled with different types of cheese, seafood, fruits, nuts and meat. It is also quite popular in a vegetarian style with meat substituted with some other vegetarian source of protein and carbohydrates. These are specially made by using grape tomatoes and some fresh Parmesan cheese. A flavourful salad dressing made from vinegar, olive oil, and some Italian herbs like rosemary and basil is meticulously mixed with all the other ingredients. To try some delicious Insalata salads, one can visit Trattoria Hugo in Delhi and Little Italy in Bengaluru. 

Image Credits: Unsplash

* Vegetable Salad With Ricotta Crostini

Crunchy vegetable salad when combined with ricotta toast is just what you need for an appetising and fulfilling meal. This salad heavily relies on some bulky asparagus and lots of fresh cucumbers. One can also add some finely chopped carrots as not only will they add a great touch to the salad taste-wise but also make it look more beautiful. One can also add some basil leaves to the salad as basil leaves are aromatic and add a very subtle herby flavour to the salad.

Image Credits: Unsplash

* Lemony Chickpea Salad

Lemony chickpea salad is not just satisfying in taste, but also quite easy to make at home. There are a lot of people who are not satisfied with just vegetables and some cheese. Even if the salad is extremely tasty and fresh, they want to have something grainy that makes them feel full in the stomach. In this case, making some Italian-style lemony chickpea salad is the right idea. It is soft, chewy, and extremely warm. The best part is that chickpeas instantly absorb olive oil and go well with pita bread. 

* Puttanesca Pasta Salad

A fresh puttanesca salad is the real essence of Italy as it is made from fresh cherry tomatoes that are abundantly available in summer. The right way to make the salad is to use some prosciutto and fragrant herbs. One can also add some fresh shallots and anchovies along with some olive oil. This is a perfect pasta salad that can be eaten both warm and cold as per one's preference. This is an opportune starter to have just before the main course as it certainly simmers down one's hunger, but at the same time leaves room for the main course.

* Citrus Salad

A fresh citrus salad is made from some grapefruits and oranges, and a sweet salad dressing is made from olive oil and honey. It is also made by adding some shaved fennels that give the final touch to the citrus salad. The salad is perfect as a side dish with garlic breads, risotto or some bruschetta as it is light, and fresh and helps in balancing something rather spicy.