Italian Chopped Salad with Parma Ham

* This is a sponsored post for Parma Ham *
This Italian Chopped Salad is basically all of your favourite fresh Italian flavours, topped with delicious Parma Ham. A base of crunchy greens topped with roasted potatoes, sweet and sour orange and grapefruit, crunchy pine nuts and all brought together with a sweet balsamic dressing.

Italian Chopped Salad

This Italian Chopped Salad really does have it all! I love the combination of the sweet and salty, as well as how much texture and crunch there is. Sometimes I have a big bowl of it as a main meal, and other times it is a side dish.

It is filling enough as a main meal if you have a big enough portion, because you have the roasted potatoes to bulk it out and the delicious Parma Ham on top. Make a big batch of this on a Sunday and you have an easy salad for the rest of the week.

It’s so easy to adapt this recipe and use up what ever you have in your fridge. We have made it with some celery in before, used a different selection of greens and even crumbled some goats cheese on top. But one thng that is always consistent is finishing it off with some Parma Ham.

What Makes Parma Ham So Special?

Parma Ham is an all natural product made from just 4 ingredients: pork, salt, air and time. There is nothing else added – no additives, preservatives or spices. It’s 100% natural. No chemicals are used in the cleaning process either, just salt and water.

I recently spent the day in the Parma Ham production factory and what really came across is just how much a labour of love making Parma Ham is. It takes a dedicated team, who are passionate about their region and producing the best quality product.

Parma Ham is known for the delicious saltiness of the product. When it comes to the salting process, there is no “one size fits all” approach and the ‘Salt Master’ must decide just how much salt is required and it is always natural sea salt that is used.

Parma Ham is air conditioned with fresh air coming out of the unit and then the Ham Master decides when to open the windows and let more air in. Fresh air blows across the countryside originating from the nearby coast.

It isn’t a quick process, with the ham spending three months hanging during the ‘riposo’, or resting phase. The meat gradually becoming darker and harder. Around seven months after the salting process the ham is smeared with a mixture of rice flour, salt, and pork fat called ‘sugna’ to stop it drying too quickly for the remainder of its maturation.

Italian Salad Dressing

Let’s talk about this Italian Salad Dressing – you are going to want to drink it straight from the mixing bowl. It’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s creamy, and it clings to this chopped salad.

A mixture of the best quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a little lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, fresh basil and dried oregano really bring this salad together.

Chopped Salad

I was lucky enough to discover this salad in a double Michelin star restaurant just outside Parma a few weeks ago. As soon as it was brought to the table, my eyes were pulled to this bright and vibrant dish. There was so much going on with this, but instead of all the ingredients battling each other, they just complimented each other beautifully.

Ingredients needed to make a Italian Chopped Salad with Parma Ham (serves 4)

• 6 new potatoes, quartered
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 50g lettuce lettuce
• 75g spinach, finely chopped
• Half a head of romaine, finely chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Half an orange, diced
• Half a grapefruit, diced
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 4 tbsp sultanas
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• Half a bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 15g parmesan, grated
• 6 slices of Parma Ham

How To Make Italian Chopped Salad with Parma Ham – Step by Step:

One: Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and par-boil for 5-6 minutes. Drain and then put in a baking tray with a teaspoon of oil and put in a preheated oven at 200°C for 35 minutes.
Two: In a large bowl, add the rocket, spinach, romaine, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, orange, grapefruit.
Three: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, basil and oregano.
Four: Pour the dressing over the chopped salad in the bowl and add the pine nuts and sultanas.
Five: Mix the salad well.
Six: Serve in a bowl and top with the parmesan and Parma Ham.

Other Salad Recipes To Try:

Greek Pasta Salad
Kale and Watermelon Salad
Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad
Nicoise Salad
Broccoli Slaw

Some extra tips for this Italian Chopped Salad with Parma Ham:

• Add a little extra saltiness by topping this Italian Chopped Salad with some olives.
• Make a big batch of this and keep it in your fridge for easy side dishes or work lunches throughout the week.
• Finish the dish with some shaved parmesan or crumbled goats cheese.
• Try chopped the Parma Ham up and frying it to add some crispiness to the salad.

If you’ve tried this Italian Chopped Salad with Parma Ham, or any other recipe on the blog, then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious recipe ideas, behind the scenes shots and also what we are getting up to.

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Print

Italian Chopped Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

This Italian Chopped Salad is basically all of your favourite fresh Italian flavours, topped with delicious Parma Ham. A base of crunchy greens topped with roasted potatoes, sweet and sour orange and grapefruit, crunchy pine nuts and all brought together with a sweet balsamic dressing.

Course: Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: ham salad, italian salad, parma ham recipe

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 250 kcal

Author: Dannii

Ingredients

Salad:

• 50 g Rocket (arugula) lettuce
• ½ head Romaine lettuce, finely chopped
• 75 g Spinach, finely chopped
• 6 New potatoes, quartered
• 1 Orange bell pepper, diced
• 10 Cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ Orange, diced
• ½ Grapefruit, diced
• 2 tbsp Pine nuts
• 4 tbsp Sultanas
• 15 g Parmesan, grated
• 6 slices Parma Ham
• 1 tsp Olive oil

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Lemon (juice only)
• 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
• ½ bunch Fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Dried oregano

Instructions

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and par-boil for 5-6 minutes. Drain and then put in a baking tray with a tsp of oil and put in a preheated oven at 200°C for 35 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, add the rocket, spinach, romaine, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, orange, grapefruit.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, basil and oregano.

4. Pour the dressing over the chopped salad in the bowl and add the pine nuts and sultanas.

5. Mix the salad well.

6. Serve in a bowl and top with the parmesan and Parma Ham.

Extra Information

• Add a little extra saltiness by topping this Italian Chopped Salad with some olives.
• Make a big batch of this and keep it in your fridge for easy side dishes or work lunches throughout the week.
• Finish the dish with some shaved parmesan or crumbled goats cheese.
• Try chopped the Parma Ham up and frying it to add some crispiness to the salad.

Nutrition Facts

Italian Chopped Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 portion)

Calories 250 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 14g 22%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 2mg 1%

Sodium 394mg 16%

Potassium 478mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 22g 7%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 8g

Protein 8g 16%

Vitamin A 83%

Vitamin C 86%

Calcium 21%

Iron 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.