“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. . . ” Isaiah 43:19

My Osteria Salad! is the perfect blend of vegetables, cheese and my little secret . . .Fried Pepperoni Bits! Serve this salad as a main dish or side, either way you and your family will definitely want seconds.

Anyone that follows me on Instagram @lifewithmamafawn, knows I love salad.  I could eat it every day and sometimes I do.  I’m always looking for new delicious salad ideas on the internet or when we go out to eat.

Let Me Set the Stage. . . 

This summer, my husband and I met my daughter and her growing family in Greenville, South Carolina for a business vacation.  Since we stayed in a hotel every night, we had to go out for every meal.  Not that I’m complaining since it’s always a treat to try new restaurants.

My daughter (or her husband) had suggested a pizza place around the corner of her house for dinner one night and we all were all very pleased.  The restaurant clearly wasn’t your common pizza eatery.  It was decorated very nicely and had outside seating.  We had a large party so we ate outside.  

And the Story Goes On. . .

The menu had gourmet pizzas, salads and pasta dishes.  Absolutely not your ‘run of the mill’ menu.  My husband and I had flown to Asheville and drove to Greenville that afternoon.  By the time we arrived at our destination it was past time for lunch and we really weren’t too hungry at the time so by the time dinner came, we both were ravenous.

My daughter and I decided to share one of their salads and we both fell in love (with the salad  😂). It was one of those dishes that left an imprint on my taste buds to the point I had to recreate the salad, the best of my memory (and those imprinted taste buds). I do have to say that all of the other menu items we ordered were sublime.  We will be going back to this restaurant again and (hopefully) again.

What is Osteria?

The name of the salad that my daughter and I partaken had a very basic name.  Fine for a restaurant but not fine for me.  I like to be above basic and so with the help of my family (my mother), this is the name I decided.  Osteria Salad!  

An Osteria is an Italian restaurant or wine bar that serves simple food in a casual setting.  It actually translates to “tavern”.  Osteria Salad! isn’t a difficult or complex salad but the levels of flavors are the perfect blend.

I could see myself sitting in an Italian Osteria eating this salad, enjoying the atmosphere with family and friends.  

Fried Pepperoni Bits!

The description of ingredients on the menu of this salad said it had fried prosciutto in it.  When we were eating it, I kept wondering if it was actually prosciutto because it didn’t look or taste like it was.  When I did some more research on the internet for this dish one of the articles said fried pepperoni bit and then I knew!  That is exactly what it was or I thought . . .  

But just to be sure, I asked my mom and my daughter to come over to the house (which they do every week anyway) and I had them try a couple of different dressings and the salad with fried prosciutto and the fried pepperoni.  

The first one was the fried prosciutto and a different dressing than what I am now using for my Osteria Salad!.  They both liked it and then I was hmmm?  Maybe it isn’t the pepperoni.  

I let them try the salad that I now have on this blog and they both agreed this is the one that was superb.  The other salad was good but this was great.  Why have good when we can have great?

What Do I Need to Make Osteria Salad!?

You will need a cutting board, knife, large serving bowl, tongs, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a jar with a lid and the following ingredients:

Mama Fawn’s Tips . . .

•  When frying the pepperoni, keep an eye on it.  There is a fine line between crisp and burnt.  🥴
• I like romaine lettuce in this salad because it’s a hearty green that can handle the dressing but feel free to use your favorite salad greens.
• This salad calls for cherry tomatoes.  I used heirloom cherry tomatoes for the Osteria Salad because of the intense tomato flavor and the beautiful colors.
• Not a fan of olives or peppers?  Definitely can omit them but they do add so much flavor to this salad.
• I freshly shred a block of picante provolone cheese for my Osteria Salad.  I found the cheese in the specialized cheese section of my grocery store.
• You can use any neutral oil for the dressing.  Although olive oil is a great oil, it takes away from the natural taste of this dressing.
• Any flavor of vinegar would be fine for this salad but the red wine vinegar is perfect.