Pepperoni Salad
Pepperoni Salad is a lettuce salad made with a pile of spring mix that is topped with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, banana peppers, red onions, and fried pepperoni slices.
Servings: 4
Calories: 158kcal
Ingredients
Pepperoni
- 3 ounces pepperoni slices, half of a 6-ounce bag
- vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Salad
- 1 bag (8 ounces) spring mix
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed (approximately 1 cup)
- ½ cup banana pepper rings, mild
- ½ red onion, cut into halved rings
- 1-2 tablespoons juice from jar of banana peppers, optional, for dressing*
- Italian dressing, optional, for dressing*
Instructions
Pepperoni
- Add about 2 inches of oil to a large pot.
- Heat the oil over medium-low heat until the oil reaches 350°F-375°F on a candy thermometer or deep-fry thermometer.
- Working in batches (so they don't stick together) add pepperoni slices to the hot oil. Cook for about 2½ minutes, or until crispy.
- Using a spider strainer or metal slotted spoon, remove the fried pepperoni and place on a plate lined with paper towel.
- Repeat with the remaining pepperoni, making sure the oil is hot enough for each batch. (The oil temperature may go down after cooking each batch of pepperoni.)
- Set fried pepperoni aside until ready to assemble salad. (They will stay crispy for 1-2 days when stored in an airtight container.)
Salad Assembly
- To a large mixing bowl, add spring mix.
- To the spring mix, add cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, banana pepper rings, red onions, and fried pepperoni slices.
- Serve topped with juice from the jar of banana peppers or Italian dressing. (Start with less dressing you think you would need; you can always add more.) *See notes.
Notes
*After the salad has been assembled, the juices from the ingredients give the salad enough flavor that you may not need to add any additional dressing. However, if serving right away, add a couple of tablespoons of the juice from the jar of banana pepper rings. Or, drizzle a little (less is more) Italian seasoning on the salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 158kcal