1-First Step: Gather and Prep Your Ingredients Start with mise en place. Chop 3 cups romaine into bite-sized pieces. Halve 1/2 cup green olives and 1/2 cup black olives. Cut 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes in half. Chop 1/4 cup roasted red peppers. Cube 8 ounces Genoa salami and 8 ounces provolone cheese into bite-sized pieces. Drain 1 (13-ounce) can artichoke hearts. Measure 1/2 cup mini pepperoni and 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls. This takes about 10 minutes. Pro tip: Use a sharp knife for clean cuts, keeps everything pretty.

2-Second Step: Combine Everything in a Large Bowl Grab your biggest bowl. Toss in the romaine, green olives, black olives, cherry tomatoes, mini pepperoni, roasted red peppers, salami, mozzarella pearls, artichoke hearts, and provolone. Gently mix with your hands or tongs. Don’t smash the veggies! This builds layers of flavor. If prepping ahead, stop here and cover.

3-Third Step: Whip Up the Lemon Dressing In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Go vigorous for 30 seconds until it emulsifies a bit. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. Extra virgin olive oil shines here for fruity notes. Make this up to a week early, store in fridge, shake before use.

4-Fourth Step: Dress and Toss the Salad Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Start with half, toss gently with tongs. Add more if you like it wetter. The lemon brightens everything. Toss just until coated, about 1 minute. Over-tossing wilts the romaine.

5-Final Step: Serve Immediately Plate right away in a big bowl or individual ones. Garnish with extra Italian seasoning if you want. Pairs great with crusty bread. Serve at room temp for best flavor. Dig in!