This delicious salad platter is always the best appetizer and starter before a big holiday meal.
Check out the many variations you build your wooden board or salad tray with below in my recipe list.
Underneath are fancy greens but you can use any kind of lettuce you prefer although our favorite is romaine and arugula mixed.
Top the lettuce with the best grade of meats and cheeses fruits, nuts vegetables, and many more of my listed suggestions.
Add our Classic Homemade Italian Dressing recipe (see recipe card below), some Tuscan garlic bread, and a bottle of Chianti and this is whole meal in itself not just an appetizer.
What is an Antipasto Salad?
Antipasto is the traditional first course of an Italian meal.
It can usually include a mix of assorted marinated vegetables, cured meats like prosciutto and salami, cheeses, nuts, fruits, or whatever you like in your salad!
The list below is a guideline for a large assortment of what you can place on your platter to build a beautiful delicious 1st-course antipasto tray!
This is very popular on Christmas Day before a big Italian meal with some delicious crusty Tuscan Garlic Bread and some Italian Chianti.
A true culinary Italian experience awaits you below!
More Recipes We Love
Insalata Caprese (Candy Cane style for Christmas included)
Antipasto Submarine Sandwich
Yield: 12
Italian Antipasto Tray
Assorted meats, cheeses, olives, vegetables, nuts, and more are called Antipasto. An appetizer tray fit for a King!
Prep time: 30 MinInactive time: 35 HourTotal time: 35 H & 30 M
Ingredients
- Line your antipasto tray with any kind of lettuce you like: Suggestions would be fancy greens, butter lettuce, curly lettuce, romaine, mixed greens, iceberg.
- Artichokes hearts drained ( pickled or regular canned)
- Green, black-cured, or kalamata olives
- Tuna packed in olive oil
- Gorgonzola cheese
- Extra sharp provolone chunks
- Fresh Whole Milk Mozzarella balls or chunks
- Sliced plum tomatoes
- Celery sticks
- Three Bean salad
- Chickpeas
- Hearts of Palm chunks
- Mortadella
- Genoa Salami
- Pepperoni
- Cherry Peppers stuffed
- Roasted Peppers
- SopressataCapicola
- Prosciutto
- Sauteed broccoli rabe or escarole
- Stuffed deviled eggs
- Shrimp with cocktail sauce
- Stuffed MushroomsClams CasinoMixed Giardiniera SaladLupini BeansNote: any vegetables can be used raw or steamed
- Fruits and Nuts to garnish the tray: shelled pistachios, raspberries, figs, dates, strawberries, raisins
- Homemade Dressing:
- 1/2 cup red wine, or balsamic
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves finely minced fresh garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- Note: use freshly chopped herbs when in season
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, freshly long strands grated of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano on top of your salad when serving
Instructions
- Line the plate with your greens and in rows layer any of the above suggestions of assorted meats, vegetables, olives, nuts, and whatever else you prefer on your platter.
- Homemade Italian Salad Dressing:
- In a bowl whisk the dressing ingredients together, this can be doubled to how much dressing you prefer.
- I drizzle the whole platter when filled with homemade olive oil and vinegar dressing.
- Add salt, and pepper to taste.
- Serve this on steamed vegetables, meats, and salad greens, or use it as a marinade on chicken and other meats before grilling or baking.
- Store salad dressing in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks in a covered mason jar. Bring to room temperature before serving and shake the jar.
- Tuscan Garlic Bread. This is a delicious bread served with the antipasto tray.
The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
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Other Salads We Love
Tuscan Panzanella Salad
Italian Escarole Antipasto Salad
