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Antipasto Chickpea Salad

Antipasto chickpea salad with bold Italian flavors—no-cook chickpeas, marinated artichoke hearts, briny olives, roasted red peppers, salami, and mozzarella tossed in a red wine vinaigrette. Built for a hearty, spoonable texture and even better flavor after a short chill.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
chill 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 560
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 2 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts drained and roughly chopped
  • 0.75 cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
  • 0.75 cup roasted red peppers sliced into strips
  • 4 oz salami sliced and cut into quarters
  • 6 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini peppers sliced
  • 0.25 red onion red onion thinly sliced
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves torn
Red Wine Vinaigrette
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp honey
  • 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.33 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method
 

Prep the salad
  1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels and add to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the chopped marinated artichoke hearts, halved Kalamata olives, roasted red pepper strips, salami quarters, mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, and thinly sliced red onion to the bowl.
Make the red wine vinaigrette
  1. Whisk red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, garlic powder, honey, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or jar until fully combined.
  2. Slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil while whisking continuously until the vinaigrette is emulsified and glossy.
Toss and finish
  1. Pour the red wine vinaigrette over the salad and toss well to coat every ingredient evenly.
  2. Scatter torn fresh basil leaves over the top and give one final gentle toss.
  3. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.
  4. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Notes

Pro tip: Let the salad rest briefly (10–30 minutes) so the vinaigrette soaks into the chickpeas. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; it’s not recommended to freeze due to the mozzarella texture. For a lighter option, swap fresh mozzarella pearls for part-skim mozzarella or omit them for a dairy-free version.