Name: Julie's Famous Italian House Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; ⅓ cup red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ½ head iceberg lettuce, washed and chopped into bite size pieces; ½ head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite size pieces; 7 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained; ½ cup red onion, sliced; ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

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This easy Italian green salad recipe is one of my favorite Italian side dishes. Fresh, crisp lettuce with artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, and onion. Topped with a red wine vinaigrette!

My mother-in-law, Julie, is famous for making this simple salad! It's a close replica of the side salad from a local restaurant in our hometown, called Madison's Café. Madison's is famous for this salad! You have to order it when you eat there!

an overhead photo of an Italian green salad

What makes this easy recipe the BEST easy Italian green salad? Fresh produce and a homemade Italian vinaigrette! This side salad recipe has a base of crunchy veggies.

I use romaine hearts, iceberg lettuce and fresh onions. Then, I add Parmesan cheese, artichokes and a homemade, delicious dressing. It's so good!

A photo of salad ingredients in a clear bowl

This hearty salad makes a wonderful side dish for almost any main course! Serve with your favorite Italian dish, or with pork chops for a light dinner.

"This was excellent. Husband really liked the dressing and the addition of the artichokes."
- Mary

an overhead photo of red wine vinaigrette in a bowl

Recipe Additions:

As with any recipe you find here on Blackberry Babe, use it as a base recipe, and add whatever sounds good to you! Here are a few suggestions:

diced red bell peppers or green bell pepper
black olives or kalamata olives
cherry tomatoes
sun-dried tomatoes
pepperoncini peppers or banana peppers
sliced English cucumber
crunchy croutons
add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the homemade dressing for extra flavor
add whole garlic cloves to the dressing

"One of my favorite salads, I literally crave it all the time- good thing it’s super easy to make!! Great work Michelle!"
Emily B.

a photo of italian green salad on black plate topped with red onions

Substitutions:

And, it's always best to use the ingredients you have on hand! Here are a few substitution suggestions:

mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese for the Parmesan cheese
grape tomatoes or your favorite veggie for the artichoke hearts
butter lettuce or the lettuce of your choice for the iceberg and/or romaine lettuce

But, if you do substitute the lettuce, you may want to skip "resting" the salad in the refrigerator.

and overhead photo of salad on a black plate

Serving Suggestions:

I love to serve this salad with crusty bread and my favorite Italian meal. If you need suggestions, try Chicken Pasta with Rosa Sauce, Crab Carbonara Pasta, Pasta alla Norma or my awesome Easy Red Wine Pasta Sauce over pasta of your choice!

Storing Leftovers:

Keep leftovers separated (salad and dressing). Store leftover lettuce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The dressing will keep on your counter at room temperature in a sealed container for up to one week.

Recipe

Julie's Famous Italian House Salad

Yield: Serves 5-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This easy Italian house salad is one of my favorite Italian side dishes. Fresh, crisp lettuce is paired with artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, onion and a red wine vinaigrette. .

Ingredients

For the salad ingredients:

½ head iceberg lettuce, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
½ head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
7 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained
½ cup red onion, sliced
⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

For the homemade Italian dressing:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

In a large bowl, toss iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts, red onion and Parmesan cheese.
In a small bowl or mason jar, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk well or shake to combine.
Top salad with dressing and let stand for 15 minutes in refrigerator before serving.