Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients:
- 8 cups mixed greens, 8 ounces
- 1 package natural pepperoni slices, 4 ounces
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, about 4 cups
Homemade Italian Dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1–2 Teaspoons maple syrup, to taste
- 1 small clove garlic, minced, or 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon minced onion, or 1 Teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt, or to your taste
- 1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 Teaspoons minced parsley, or 1/2 Teaspoon dried
- 2 Teaspoons minced basil, or 1/2 Teaspoon dried
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon diced red bell pepper
Instructions
- Place the washed salad greens into a large bowl.
- Thinly slice the pepperoni slices into strips and scatter them over the top of the greens along with the grated Pecorino, and cherry tomatoes.
- To make the dressing, place all the ingredients except the oil and diced bell pepper into a blender. Blend starting on low and drizzle in the oil slowly increasing the speed a bit to 4 or 5 on a Vitamix. Blend until all the oil is added and completely emulsified. Add the bell pepper and blend just to combine.
- Toss the salad with the dressing or serve it alongside.
- The dressing keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Notes
For the mixed greens, I used a mix of spinach, beet greens, and baby kale.
One of my favorite shortcuts on this dressing is to sub in 1 1/2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning for the oregano, parsley, and basil to speed things up a bit.
- Prep Time: 20 mins