Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Peppers, and Feta
Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Peppers, and Feta is a favorite salad I’ve made over and over for family parties. If you like spicy Greek Peperoncini and creamy Feta Cheese, you’re going to swoon over this salad!
PIN Peperoncini Chopped Salad to try it later!
Do you have any favorite salad recipes you make over and over? My family has been crazy over this Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Red Bell Pepper, and Feta for quite a while now, and I have a few members of my extended family who always smile when they see I’ve made it for a party! And we’re about to enter into a season of party food where there’s going to be a lot of tempting treats everywhere you look, so I decided to take better photos for this recipe and remind you about it as a tasty option for healthy party food!
What makes the flavors really rock in this salad (besides the slices of Peperoncini) is the addition of one tablespoon of Peperoncini brine to the dressing. If you like Peperoncini when you get them added to a restaurant salad, you’ll definitely like this salad. And when we took the new photos we had the idea of replacing the chopped red peppers in the original salad with slices of sweet mini-peppers for a more festive look. If you don’t want to buy those or that seems like too much trouble to you, just use chopped red bell pepper. The salad will be delicious either way!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- Dried Oregano (affiliate link), preferably Greek Oregano (affiliate link)if you have it)
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- white wine vinegar
- Peperoncini brine (from the jar of Sliced Peperoncini Peppers (affiliate link))
- extra-virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- romaine lettuce
- Sliced Peperoncini Peppers (affiliate link)
- sweet mini peppers
- crumbled Feta cheese (or more)
What was the inspiration for this recipe?
The recipe was inspired a Greek Italian Chopped Salad that I saw in The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh, a huge book that’s loaded with good recipe ideas. The original recipe didn’t have Peperoncini, but when I read the ingredients I immediately thought it would be a nice addition. Besides romaine, red bell pepper, and feta, the original salad had garbanzos, sliced fennel, sliced red onion, and salami, so you could add any of those to my version if they appeal to you.
Is it Pepperoncini or Peperoncini?
The word for the spicy peppers used in this salad is sometimes spelled Pepperoncini, but on the jars I have bought for years it’s spelled Peperoncini, so that’s how I spell it!
Where to buy Spicy Peperoncini Peppers:
You can get Peperoncini Pepper (affiliate link) or Sliced Peperoncini Peppers (affiliate link) at Amazon if you don’t find them at your store, but most grocery stores will have these briny slightly spicy peppers sold near the olives and pickles.
Want more Salads with Peperoncini Peppers or Feta?
The Peperoncini Peppers and the Feta Cheese used in this recipe are without a doubt two of my favorite salad ingredients. If you’re also a fan of those ingredients you might like to see my round-ups for Spicy Low-Carb Salads with Peperoncini or Low-Carb and Keto Salads with Feta Cheese.
How to Make Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Peppers, and Feta:
(Scroll down for complete recipe including nutritional information.)
- Make the dressing first so the flavors have a chance to blend together while you prep the other ingredients.
- To prep the Peperoncini, cut off the stem end and discard, then squeeze out the seeds and cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. (You might need to drain them in a colander if they’re extra juicy.) You can use more or less sliced Peperoncini to taste; I used about 1 cup.
- Sometimes I buy sliced Peperoncini peppers (affiliate link) to make it even easier!
- Follow that same process with the sweet mini-peppers, or just chop up a red bell pepper into thin strips if you prefer.
- Crumble the Feta Cheese so it’s ready. I always buy Feta Cheese that comes in a block for best flavor.
- Chop or tear the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces, then spin dry in the salad spinner (affiliate link), or dry with paper towels.
- Toss the salad with desired amount of dressings. Then toss in the crumbled Feta and toss again.
- Then season the salad with a generous amount of black pepper (which you can barely see in that last photo) and serve!
More Amazing Salads with Feta Cheese
Green Bean Salad with Greek Olives and Feta Cheese ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Brussels Sprouts Salad ~ Spend with Pennies
Spinach Salad with Bacon and Feta ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Barley Salad with Kale, Pistachios, and Feta ~ Eats Well With Others
Broccoli Salad with Feta and Almonds ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Peppers, and Feta
Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Peppers, and Feta is a favorite salad with my huge extended family, and I've made this many times for parties.
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. dried oregano (use Greek oregano if you have it)
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 3 T white wine vinegar
- 1 T Peperoncini brine (from the jar of Peperoncini)
- 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste (I didn't use much of either in the dressing)
Salad Ingredients:
- 6 cups chopped or torn romaine lettuce, washed and spun dry in salad spinner, or dry with paper towels
- 1 cup sliced Peperoncini (or more, see notes)
- 1 cups sliced sweet mini peppers (or use thin slices of red red bell pepper if you prefer; use more pepper if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese (or more)
- fresh-ground black pepper to taste (I didn’t use salt because the Feta is salty)
Instructions
- Put dried oregano and minced garlic in a small bowl and mash together with a fork or use a mortar and pestle (affiliate link). Add the white wine vinegar (affiliate link), Peperoncini juice, and salt and pepper to taste and stir together. Whisk in olive oil about 2 tablespoons at a time until dressing is well emulsified and add a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper if desired. Let dressing sit so flavors can blend while you prep other ingredients.
- Cut or tear romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and wash and dry with salad spinner (affiliate link) or wash lettuce in a colander and dry with paper towels.
- Cut stem end from each Peperoncini, squeeze out the seeds and discard, and slice Peperoncini into slices about 1/2 inch thick. (If they seem extra juicy, drain Peperoncini in a colander as you cut the stems off.
- Cut stems off the sweet mini-peppers and cut out the seeds with a paring knife; then cut peppers into thick rings. (Or just chop up a red bell pepper into thin strips if you prefer.
- Crumble enough Feta cheese to measure 1/2 cup, or as much as you prefer.
- Put the lettuce into a large salad bowl and toss with desired amount of dressing. Add Peperoncini strips, red bell pepper strips, and crumbled Feta cheese and toss again.
- Season salad to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately. (I didn’t add any salt at the end but did season with a generous amount of fresh-ground black pepper.)
- Every single time I've made this salad, it was all devoured immediately, so I don’t know how well it would keep overnight in the fridge, but I’d guess it’s best freshly made.
Notes
If you're lucky your store might sell sliced Peperoncini peppers (affiliate link), which makes this salad even easier to make!
This recipe inspired by Greek Italian Chopped Salad from The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh, with lots of adaptations by Kalyn.Â
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 378mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Peppers, and Feta is a perfect salad for low-carb and low-glycemic diet plans, including Keto. It’s also good for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. One reason I was inspired to buy two big jars of Peperoncini is because they are such a wonderfully low-carb ingredient.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
39 Comments on “Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Peppers, and Feta”
Loved it!
PJ, I always get them on salad bars too! I think they'll keep forever in the fridge so I'm looking forward to experimenting with them more.
Sarah, thanks.
Joanne, it was really good with the feta!
Dara, no idea how I thought of it, but that touch of brine in the dressing was key to the success of this recipe.
Marisa, I've had pappadew and I think the flavor would be quite similar. Hope you will try it like that!
I've never had Pepperoncini (don't think we get it over here…) but it sure sounds amazing. In fact, sounds very similar to a local product we have – Peppadew. I'm quite keen to try it like that!
I love chopped salads. I usually don't have pepperoni on hand but will sometimes buy a couple of thin slices of salami and chop that. Black olive slices would be great in this too.
Love the pepperocini in the salad AND the dressing. Gives it that extra zip!
I love the idea of adding the brine to the dressing! For some reason, it never occurs to me to buy peperoncini, but every time I eat it at a restaurant, I thoroughly enjoy the flavor.
I love pepperoncini…so salty and delicious. Especially with the feta. Definitely a winner.
That sounds delicious!
oh wow, looks delicious! i love pepperoncini in salads I assemble at salad bars at work but don't know why, I never thought of adding it at home. thanks for the wonderful idea.
Year on the Grill, actually I had it for lunch and dinner on Easter and again for dinner on Monday. Good stuff!
Pam, I love the combo of Feta and peperoncini!
Kath, I bet he's going to like it then!
Sandie, I eat them right out of the jar too. Lucky you to have rising temperatures! Still have snow here.
Rookie Cookie, yes Costco is a dangerous place, but I like to live dangerously. The juice was so great in this dressing.
Tasteofbeiruit, thanks. I have no idea what made me think of it, but it was great in the dressing!
Merle, I think verjus would be quite a bit less sour than the white wine vinegar, but it would probably taste okay. Try it and see what you think.
Could Verjus Blanc be substitued for the White Wine Vinegar in this recipe? I bought a bottle of it and don't find many recipes that use it. If it can be, that would open up some uses.
I used to eat pepperoncini by the gallons! I am going to try this for my next salad; adding a bit of their juice to the dressing is clever~
They jumped into your cart? That sounds like everything at Costco. Everything is begging to get out of the store and before you know it, you have a full cart. It's a terrible place.
Brilliant idea with the brine in the dressing. Such a great way to use up the whole product. Nice work.
1) I LOVE pepperoncini and often eat them straight from the jar for an anytime snack.
2) I just left a comment on Lydia's blog telling her we're on a salad kick again due to the rising temps (her Miso dressing recipe). This recipe will come in perfect as well!
Thanks so much for sharing (it has all our favorite ingredients)!
I've never thought of putting peperoncini in salads. My husband loves them, so I'll definitely give this a try. Thanks for the great idea!
Looks delicious and I will have to try it with the peperoncini! Never thought about that and love the feta!
WOW… so you have had this every day since easter… a great recommendation
love the use of the brine
Sounds like I'm not the only Peperoncini lover out there! I love the idea of eating this in a pita with hummus. The variations are endless.
Yum! I just love Pepperoncini, it is my favorite thing about going to Quiznos! I bet this salad would be amazing stuffed into a pita with hummus.
This is such a great idea – the use of pepperoncini and the brine. I have the bell pepper too. Perhaps I'll do a chopped salad instead with some radishes and carrots… Hmmm…
Lookin' good!