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Nothing embodies the essence of summer in southern Italy like vibrant colors of the flavorful insalata Caprese, a true classic of Neapolitan cuisine. The perfect combination of ripe, sun-kissed tomatoes, creamy mozzarella and fresh basil - this simple salad is believed to have originated on the island of Capri, hence the name.
Caprese was originally made with the Re Umberto or Fiascone tomatoes, traditionally grown along the beautiful Amalfi coast, and treccia di Sorrento, a type of braided mozzarella cheese. Also, contrary to popular practice, the authentic Caprese salad recipe doesn't call for balsamic or any other type of vinegar.
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View morePanzanella is an Italian salad made from pieces of stale, moistened bread, with the addition of tomatoes, onions, or basil, and a dressing of vinegar and olive oil. The salad is a specialty of Tuscany, where it is usually served in the summer, making use of the fresh summer vegetables that are in season.
Panzanella can sometimes include other additional ingredients such as cucumbers, olives, and cheese. It is believed that panzanella was invented out of necessity, as a means to utilize unwanted ingredients, such as stale bread. The salad was first described in the 1500s, in a poem by a famous artist and poet named Bronzino.
Olivier salad is a Russian salad with variable ingredients, but it is typically made with chopped vegetables, meat, and mayonnaise. The key ingredients include diced potatoes, vegetables, eggs, chicken, or ham. This salad is one of the most important appetizers at the New Year's salad buffets in Russia, as well as in some of the other countries of the former USSR.
The original was invented in the 1860s by Lucien Olivier, a chef in the popular Moscow restaurant called L'Hermitage. Olivier guarded the recipe until he died, but it is believed that the recipe was stolen by an employee who watched the chef at work, so the salad is still made today.
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Insalata di riso is a flavorful Italian salad filled with healthy ingredients such as rice, tomatoes, tuna, peas, bell peppers, mushrooms, mozzarella, and pine nuts. It is usually served as a side dish, although it can be consumed on its own as a light meal.
The dish is incredibly versatile, so almost any ingredient can be added to rice, even though chopped vegetables are the most popular choice. In Italy, there is a certain mix of preserved vegetables used for insalata di riso that is only available during the summer, called condiriso.
Insalata di carciofi e bottarga is a traditional salad originating from Sardinia. The salad is usually made with a combination of artichokes (kept in lemon water), lemon juice, olive oil (preferably local), salt, radicchio, and bottarga. The artichokes are sliced and dressed with a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil.
They're seasoned with salt, tossed, mixed with shredded radicchio, and arranged on a platter. The bottarga is thinly sliced and sprinkled over the top of the salad before serving.
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Insalata di tonno, fagioli e cipolla is a traditional salad that's especially popular in Tuscany. Although there are numerous variations, the salad is often made with a combination of tuna (tinned in brine), onions, cannellini (lima) beans, olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil, salt, and black pepper.
The onions are thinly sliced and splashed with boiling water until crunchy and sweet. Once drained, they're mixed with the remaining ingredients. The salad is seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed, and served immediately. Insalata di tonno, fagioli e cipolla is especially popular as a summer lunch or as an accompaniment to barbecued meat.
Aragosta alla Catalana is an Italian dish originating from Sardinia. The salad is prepared with lobster, tomatoes, onions, oil, and lemon. Depending on the variations, the dish can also contain potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and capers. The lobster is usually boiled and cut into smaller pieces, then mixed with a combination of oil, tomatoes, onions, and lemon juice.
This dish is traditionally served hot, and even though it's very simple, some claim it's the most lavish dish in Alghero.
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Patate condite is a traditional potato salad originating from Italy. This simple salad is usually made with a combination of new potatoes, salt, pepper, chopped onions, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. The potatoes are cooked in boiling salted water until tender.
They're drained, cut in half, placed in a large bowl, and mixed with chopped onions. The olive oil is mixed with vinegar, salt, and pepper in order to make the dressing that's poured over the potatoes and onions until well-coated. The salad is typically served at room temperature or warm because it will taste better than if it's left to chill in the fridge.
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Cialledda is a traditional salad originating from Basilicata and Puglia. The salad is usually made with a combination of stale bread, oregano, tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It's often made with additional ingredients such as onion rings, cucumbers, bell peppers, basil, and olives.
The bread is cut into chunks and moistened with water. The tomatoes are mixed with the other ingredients, and the mixture is left to rest for a while. It's then mixed with the bread, tossed, left to rest again, and served in individual bowls or plates.
Cappon magro is a flavorful seafood and vegetable salad from Liguria served on a hardtack cracker. The salad is visually appealing since the ingredients are traditionally arranged in a colorful pyramid and drizzled with green sauce. Some of the most common ingredients used in cappon magro include lobsters, white fish, carrots, potatoes, celery, olives, capers, and hard-boiled eggs.
The dish is usually reserved for special, festive occasions.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 19 Italian Salads” list until February 13, 2025, 1,206 ratings were recorded, of which 953 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.