This is sometimes called WOP Salad. Why you might ask? My sister Mary Lynn (Broussard) Huguet (who made the salad that is pictured above) writes that this: "comes from the Italian Immigrants who when they first came were people With Out Papers".
Ingredients:
8 cups crisp Lettuce any kind you like
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes cut in half, or 2 Medium Tomatoes
1 medium Red Onion cut in slices
2 medium Bell Peppers any color
2 Cucumbers sliced
3 ribs of Celery sliced
1 cup of Black Olives
1/2 cup Green Olives
1 can Artichoke Hearts quartered.
+ anything else you like in a salad.
Use whatever salad dressing you like (Italian would be best)
Instructions:
Combine all listed ingredients except Lettuce and marinate overnight in salad dressing in refrigerator.
When Serving:
Ingredients Needed:
1 can Anchovies
Asparagus Spears (fresh or canned)
Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese
Instructions for Plating:
Divide lettuce on however many servings you need. On each serving place a large spoonful of the marinated salad mix. Place one asparagus spear on each serving, sprinkle with cheese. Then make an “X” with two anchovies on top of each serving.
Mary Lynn (Broussard) Huguet.
Check out: “WOP” Salad / Restaurant-ing through History
Below is from Website Editor Chuck Taggart: Gumbo Pages
He writes: New Orleans is not the most "politically correct" place in the world.This fairly old-fashioned but longtime favorite dish on Creole-Italian menus across the city is an example of that, the term "wop" being generally felt to be a slur on people of Italian extraction. However, nobody in New Orleans, least of all Italians, seemed to mind the term at least as applied to this dish, which would probably still be on restaurant menus under its old name if it weren't for out-of-towners who were kind enough to point out that this is, in fact, an ethnic slur. The dish is still beloved in the hearts of many, though, even though you hardly see it on menus anymore (certainly not under its original name), which is a shame, 'cause it's really pretty good. It's a great way to use the muffuletta olive salad on something other than a muffuletta sandwich, too.
For the more complex salad:
8 cups crisp lettuce of assorted types (should include romaine), torn into bite-sized pieces
2 medium ripe tomatoes (Creole tomatoes, if you got 'em), cut into wedges
1-1/2 to 2 cups olive salad (See recipe on Moufalata Sandwich page
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
16 flat anchovies
8 large boiled shrimp, peeled
8 large white or green asparagus spears, steamed and chilled
Freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
For the dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mixed Italian seasoning herbs, or to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine lettuces, olive salad, tomatoes and dressing in a large bowl, toss well. Divide evenly on 8 salad plates. On each plate, make an "x" with two anchovies on top of each mixed salad. Top with one asparagus spear and a boiled shrimp. Make sure each plate has some tomatoes and plenty of the vegetables (including a pepperoncini) from the olive salad. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.
YIELD: 8 servings
From a website by Chuck Taggart called: Gumbo Pages