Carmine's Salad

By vgaven

Change up your salad with this mix of greens with radicchio, watercress and arugula, with pepperoncini, salami, provolone, onions, radishes and tomatoes, tossed with Carmine's Italian dressing.

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium sized head iceberg lettuce, I use a whole head
• 1 medium sized radicchio
• 2 bunches watercress, or 2 to 3 bunches arugula, I use arugula
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped genoa salami, I do more
• 1/2 cup diced provolone, I do more to taste
• 1/2 medium sized red onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 small cucumber peeled and cut into small chunks, I use more to taste
• 5 pepperoncini peppers
• 5 large green olives, pitted
• 5 black olives, pitted
• 3 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 large ripe tomato, cored and cut into 8 wedges
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Carmine's vinaigrette
• Pinch of dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Cut the iceberg letuce into 3 equal pieces and cut each piece into quarters. Place the lettuce in a large bowl filled with ice-cold water.

Core and halve the radicchio and then cut each half into 3 pieces. Add it to the bowl.

Remove the stems from the watercress or arugula and add it to the bowl. Using your hands, swish the greens around, breaking up the iceberg lettuce and radicchio leaves. Spin the greens dry or dry them with paper towels. Transfer them to a plastic bag or similar container and refrigerate them until they are cold and crispy.

In a large bowl, mix together the salami, provolone, onions, cucumbers, pepperoncini, olives, radishes and tomatoes. Add the lettuce, radicchio, and watercress(arugula) and gently toss the salad to combine the ingredients.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss it again. Add the oregano and season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. Add more dressing, if desired. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter.