5 from 5 votes

This Italian Salad will wow your friends at your next barbecue with a myriad of flavors from vegetables, cheeses, and meats splashed with a homemade red wine vinegar dressing. Keto Antipasto Salad is the perfect main dish or side for any occasion. This easy recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.

This post is dedicated to my husband in honor of his family and his favorite sub. Every holiday my in-laws have an antipasto platter. Anytime we’ve gotten subs in the 15 years we’ve been married my husband’s gotten an Italian sub.

Give him some ham, salami, peppers, onions, provolone, oil and vinegar and he’s a happy guy. And he is just as happy with a loaded salad as with a real sub on a roll. That combined with the holiday antipasto salad and this is the salad of my husband’s dreams.

Salad Ingredients

Romaine

Salami

Provolone

Fresh mozzarella balls

Parmesan

Mini pepperoni

Cucumber

Red pepper

Mild pepper rings

White onion

Black pepper

Dried basil

Dressing Ingredients

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Garlic powder

Italian seasoning

Sugar-free sweetener (optional)

Salt

How to Make Keto Antipasto Salad

This is incredibly easy to make. All you need to do it chop the ingredients and layer them in a big salad bowl.

How to make homemade salad dressing?

Homemade salad dressing is as simple as adding some oil and vinegar to the jar and giving it a good shake. The trick is finding the right ratios. In my experience, a good vinaigrette has 2/3 oil to 1/3 acid, such as vinegar.

The second trick is mixing. When you shake or blend the dressing long enough the oil and vinegar emulsify creating a smooth and creamy texture. That isn’t as important in this keto antipasto salad as some others but I still prefer that to when my dressings separate.

Variations

Peppers – Try pepperoncini or roasted red peppers instead of the fresh bell peppers and mild pepper rings.

Greens – Swap in arugula, baby spinach, or a mixed greens blend.

Common Questions

Italian Sub vs Italian Salad vs Antipasto Salad

The big difference with this Italian Salad vs a traditional Italian sub is the lack of bread. The second difference is the number of greens under the toppings. We’ve just swapped the bread for a base of lettuce.

The difference between an Italian salad and a keto antipasto salad is nothing. They are the same thing with a different name.

What types of meat are in an Italian salad?

This keto antipasto salad has salami and pepperoni. Other meats you can use are mortadella, capicola, and ham. Feel free to swap in any Italian deli meats you prefer.

What types of cheese in an Italian salad?

This keto antipasto salad has both Parmesan and mozzarella. The Parmesan gives a nice saltiness that the mozzarella is lacking. And the mozzarella gives a creamy texture not found in any of the other salad components. I encourage you to add both!

Another cheese that would go well on this Italian salad is provolone. My husband’s family likes very sharp provolone but I prefer the milder sliced variety. Both would work here.

Love this recipe? Try a summer strawberry caprese salad next!

Like what you see? Follow me on Facebook! Love this recipe? Leave a comment & 5-star rating right here! Make sure you don’t miss new recipes by getting email updates!

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Joy Filled Eats