Nancy's Chopped Salad

Smitten Kitchen

Makes 6 meal-sized salad or 12 side portions

OREGANO DRESSING:

•  4 cloves garlic
•  1 to 2 tablespoons dried oregano (Nancy recommends 2; I got nervous and used 1, but might not have minded more)
•  2 teaspoons kosher salt
•  Freshly ground black pepper
•  2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
•  1/4 cup red wine vinegar
•  1/4 cup olive oil, ideally extra-virgin

SALAD AND ASSEMBLY:

•  1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
•  1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into paper-thin rings
•  1/2 pound provolone (see Note about varieties), sliced 1/8-inch thick then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
•  1/2 pound salami, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
•  4 medium or 8 small pickled pepperoncini, sliced into rings
•  3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
•  Sea salt
•  1 head iceberg lettuce (see Note about size), halved, cored, and cut in 1/2-inch ribbons
•  1 head radicchio, halved, cored and cut in 1/4-inch ribbons
•  2 tablespoons dried oregano for garnish (optional)

Make dressing:

Roughly chop the garlic and then add the oregano, salt and up to 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Chop the mixture together and use the side of a knife or a mortar and pestle to make a grainy herb paste. Transfer the paste to a large salad bowl, and add the lemon juice and vinegar. Mix with a fork allowing the salt to dissolve, then add the oil and whisk with a fork until well combined. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano. If you’re using a small head of iceberg, transfer 1/3 the dressing into a small bowl to be used only if needed. For a larger head of iceberg, you’ll want it all.

Assemble salad:
Gently fold the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami, pepperoncini (including seeds and juice) into the dressing, one at a time. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

To serve:
When ready to serve, gently add the tomatoes, lettuce and radicchio to the salad bowl, along with a couple of generous pinches of oregano, and toss to combine with the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding any reserved dressing if needed. Serve immediately.