Antipasto Salad with Chicken Sausage

Name: Antipasto Salad with Chicken Sausage
Prep time: 20
Cook time: 5
Total time: 25
Yield: 1
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil; small garlic cloves, minced; red or white wine vinegar; lemon juice; dried Italian herbs; dijon mustard; honey; parmesan, finely grated; fresh basil leaves, finely chopped; Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 14-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained; mozzarella pearls; vegetable oil; package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage; large head romaine lettuce, rinsed and cut into ½-inch strips; pitted Castelvetrano or black olives, roughly chopped; roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and chopped; marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered; marinated pepperoncini, finely sliced, stems removed

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Servings: 1

Appetizer

Italian Herb

Mediterranean

Salads

Antipasto salad is kind of hilarious. Technically, it’s supposed to be an appetizer—it’s right there in the name. But most antipasto salads hit the table looking like half an Italian deli collapsed into a bowl. No complaints here. We fully support turning a charcuterie board into a salad. The only problem? By the time you finish it, there’s barely room left for the pasta course.

Our take keeps all the hearty, briny hallmarks of the classic, but lightens things up with Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, which brings juicy protein and a hit of Calabrian chili flavor without leaning on heavier cured meats. You’ve still got all the essentials: peppers, olives, mozzarella, artichokes, pepperoncini, and a bright homemade dressing that ties everything together. Serve it as a true antipasto alongside cacio e pepe, pink sauce, or orecchiette—or make it the main event all on its own. Either way, this is the kind of salad that eats like dinner.

Chef’s tip: Want a more traditional antipasto spread? Use this recipe as a base and layer in your favorite Italian meats.

See Recipe

An antipasto salad featuring Classic Roasted Chicken Salad.

SERVING MULTIPLIER:

Ingredients

Dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons parmesan, finely grated

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad

1 14-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained

8 ounces mozzarella pearls

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage

1 large head romaine lettuce, rinsed and cut into ½-inch strips

¾ cup pitted Castelvetrano or black olives, roughly chopped

½ cup roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and chopped

¾ cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

½ cup marinated pepperoncini, finely sliced, stems removed

Instructions

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Servings: 1

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Add the garbanzo beans and mozzarella pearls and toss well to coat. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Cook the sausage: Slice the sausages into ½-inch coins, then cut the coins into half moons. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides.

Assemble the salad: Arrange the romaine in a large serving bowl or platter. Spoon the marinated garbanzo beans and mozzarella over the top, drizzling any remaining dressing over the lettuce. Arrange the olives, roasted red peppers, artichokes, and pepperoncini around the salad, leaving space for the sausage. Add the warm sausage and toss gently to combine. Serve with crusty Italian bread, if desired.