AIP Antipasto Grazing Board

Classic antipasto doesn’t exactly work on AIP. It’s traditionally full of nightshades, aged cheese, cured meats—none of it’s compliant. But that wasn’t stopping me from wanting to pick at a pile of prosciutto, olives and artichoke hearts marinated in herby, red wine vinaigrette. And since antipasto is more of a concept than a recipe, why not trade in all the things that are off limits for delicious things that are AIP-friendly? Like cauliflower, which lays the foundation for this AIP antipasto grazing board. Make it for entertaining, or just for yourself as a lunch and dinner salad that just gets better in the fridge as it sits. This briny-tangy-salty-crunchy platter of antipasto that’s all about picking a little of this, a little of that. Toss it all together in a giant scoopable salad, or give the ingredients their own spot over a platter of peppery arugula.

How this recipe fits AIP

All of the ingredients in this antipasto grazing board are suitable for AIP Core, the original Autoimmune Protocol, and they’re completely nightshade-free. As with many antipasto-style ingredients, label reading matters here. Look for canned or frozen artichoke hearts without added preservatives, especially to avoid citric acid, which is often derived from corn. Olives should be packed in a simple brine without unnecessary additives, and prosciutto is typically just pork and salt, though it’s still worth checking. Choosing clean, minimally processed ingredients keeps this dish fully AIP-compliant.

Free Recipe Book

The Everyday Botanical: Tonics, Elixirs and Calming Blends

A quiet cup can change the shape of a day. Warm mugs, iced teas, and mocktail sparklers you can make at home to support calm, aid digestion, and bring you back to center, using familiar ingredients and a little kitchen practical magic.

Remove the core from the head of cauliflower and break the florets down into medium-sized (or bite-sized) florets. You’ll have about six cups of cauliflower florets. Steam them in a covered stock pot with a pinch of salt for three to five minutes. The important thing is to not overcook the cauliflower. You want the florets to be cooked but toothsome, which means tender but still a little firm at the end of the bite. 

As soon as the cauliflower is cooked, spoon the florets into a large bowl of ice water to shock them and immediately halt the cooking. Allow them to cool in the ice bath for a minute or two, then dry them on a towel-lined baking sheet and pat them fully dry.

Red wine vinegar is your classic red-checkered-tablecloth Italian restaurant vibe for this dressing. But don’t miss out on the chance to upgrade it with really good quality, fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fresh – not dried – herbs. Finely chop fresh oregano and fresh basil. You could add in some parsley if you have it in your fridge, as well. Just aim for about a quarter-cup of fresh herbs in total. If you’ve never used fresh oregano before, you might be surprised that it has a citrusy and woody flavor that’s not as heavy or overpowering as its dried counterpart.

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar herbs, minced garlic and salt.

Then, toss the cauliflower, olives, artichoke hearts, onions and arugula with the dressing. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Once the antipasto is chilled, mound it on a platter and nestle in some slices of prosciutto and serve. Want a little more variety? Toss in some tender baby kale, add in a spoonful or two of capers, or slice up a small Persian cucumber. If you’re following AIP Modified, you could even add in some cannellini beans, chickpeas or sunflower seeds. Either way, this AIP antipasto grazing board is sure to feel like you’re favorite Italian restaurant and Sunday supper favorite.

A New Way to Listen

Find your inner compass

Even when you’re following a food framework carefully, questions still come up. Sometimes it’s as simple as, This food is allowed, but does it actually work for me?

Your body already knows. This free three-part series shows you a simple way to decode those answers into clear signals you can use when making everyday decisions, starting with food.

AIP Antipasto Grazing Board

5 from 1 vote

AIP Antipasto made with cauliflower, artichoke hearts, olives,and prosciutto for a nightshade-free entertaining grazing board or make-ahead lunch and dinner salad.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time:1 hour hr

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Christina Marche

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, core removed and broken into medium-sized florets (about 6 cups)
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup olives (Castelvetrano, Manzanilla and/or Kalamata)
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 cups arugula
• 3 oz prosciutto

Instructions

• Bring a large stockpot with about an inch of water to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Nestle a steamer basket inside the stockpot and pile in the cauliflower florets, seasoning them with a pinch of salt. Cover and steam just until the cauliflower is tender but still retains a hint of toothsome bite, about three to five minutes.
• While the cauliflower steams, fill a large bowl with ice water. Once the florets are ready, use a slotted spoon to transfer them directly into the ice bath to halt the cooking. After a minute or two, move them to a towel-lined baking sheet and gently pat dry.
• To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, basil, minced garlic and half-teaspoon of salt. Season to taste.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower with the chopped artichokes, olives, sliced shallot and arugula, then toss with the dressing.
• Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then mound the salad onto a serving platter. Tuck in slices of prosciutto, and serve.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: AIP