New Orleans Muffuletta Salad (Print)
Vibrant zesty salad with halal deli meats, tangy olives, roasted peppers, and garlicky vinaigrette inspired by New Orleans.
# What You Need:
→ Salad Base
01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, iceberg, or spring mix), washed and torn
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 medium cucumber, sliced
04 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Muffuletta Mix
05 - 1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
06 - 1 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
07 - 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
08 - 1/4 cup pickled giardiniera, chopped
09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Halal Deli Meats and Cheese
10 - 3.5 ounces halal beef salami, thinly sliced and cut into strips
11 - 3.5 ounces halal turkey breast, thinly sliced and cut into strips
12 - 3.5 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced and cut into strips
13 - 3.5 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
→ Vinaigrette
14 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
15 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
16 - 1 clove garlic, minced
17 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
18 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
19 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
# How to Make:
01 - In a large salad bowl, arrange salad greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine green olives, black olives, roasted red peppers, giardiniera, and parsley. Mix thoroughly to create the muffuletta olive salad.
03 - Scatter the halal beef salami, turkey breast, provolone, and mozzarella evenly over the greens.
04 - Spoon the muffuletta olive salad evenly over the top of the meats and cheese.
05 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt until emulsified.
06 - Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to combine or serve layered.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The punchy olive salad does double duty as both ingredient and partial dressing, meaning every bite delivers that signature muffuletta flavor without the heavy bread.
- You can prep everything hours ahead and assemble just before eating, perfect for those nights when youre juggling dinner and helping kids with homework.
02 -
- Letting the olive mixture sit for at least 15 minutes before adding it to the salad intensifies the flavors dramatically, a mistake I made when rushing the first time I prepared this.
- Cubing the mozzarella rather than slicing it creates little pockets of creamy texture that counterbalance the sharpness of the olive mix and vinaigrette.
03 -
- If you can find it, authentic olive salad from a specialty shop can be substituted for the homemade olive mix, though reduce the amount of added salt in the vinaigrette since these commercial mixes tend to be saltier.
- For the most impressive presentation, arrange this salad on a large, shallow platter rather than a deep bowl, creating distinct sections of ingredients before drizzling with dressing and serving.