Muffaletta Salad

All the bold, briny flavors of the classic New Orleans sandwich, reimagined as a bread salad. With tender greens, sturdy bread, just enough meat and cheese, and a generous spoonful of olive salad, it’s true to the original but lighter on the plate. Easy to scale up if you’re feeding a crowd.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: people

Author: Marissa Stevens

Ingredients

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 medium shallot minced
freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad

6 ounces ciabatta bread or focaccia cut into bite sized pieces (recipe note #1)
5 ounces mixed baby greens
2 ounces Swiss cheese thinly sliced or shaved
2 ounces provolone cheese thinly sliced or shaved
2 ounces mortadella sliced into thin, short strips
3 ounces Genoa salami sliced into thin, short strips
2 ounces capicola or good-quality ham sliced into thin, short strips
2/3 cup muffuletta olive salad (store-bought or homemade - see my copycat Central Grocery Muffuletta Olive Salad)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional for garnish
chopped fresh oregano leaves optional for garnish

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and oregano. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking until emulsified. Stir in the shallot and season to taste with pepper (I skip the salt here since the meats, cheeses, and olive salad bring plenty of their own).
Add the bread to a large salad bowl and drizzle lightly with dressing; toss gently just to coat. Let stand for 2 to 5 minutes so the bread can absorb some of the dressing without going soft.
Add the greens, meats, and cheeses. Drizzle with a bit more dressing and gently toss to combine. Add the olive salad and a final drizzle of dressing, if needed, and toss once more.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and fresh oregano, if using, and serve right away.

Notes

Bread: Muffuletta sandwiches are traditionally made with a round, sesame-topped Italian loaf that’s soft and tender inside. For the salad, I use ciabatta or focaccia; they hold their texture better than soft sandwich bread, which can fall apart once dressed.
Olive salad: If your olive mix is especially oily, give it a quick drain before measuring. A rough chop helps if the pieces are large.
Homemade option: I use my homemade olive salad when I have it on hand; it’s my take on the Central Grocery original and works perfectly here.
Cheese and meats: Swiss, provolone, mortadella, salami, and capicola keep it true to a classic muffuletta while scaling back the richness.
Dressing: This version is intentionally mild — enough to bring the salad together without competing with the olive salad. Yield is about 1/2 cup.
Meats: You’ll want about 8 ounces total. I usually go with a mix of mortadella, salami, and capicola, but good-quality ham works too. Skip one if you need to, just aim for a mix of savory and salty.
Sesame seeds: Toasted sesame seeds echo the sesame-topped loaf in the original sandwich and add a subtle crunch.

Nutrition

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