A lot of restaurants have their own versions of a chopped salad – this is my version, interpreted and modified based on some of my favorites! I love chopped salads because there are small pieces of so many different things, you get tons of flavor in each bite.
If you happen to be invited to a dinner party or potluck in the near future and the host asks you to bring something, volunteer this. Guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
Erin’s Chopped Salad (serves 4)
- 3 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 2 tbs capers
- 2 tbs parmesan cheese (I prefer small chunks of fresh parmesan)
- 1 tbs chopped fresh basil
For the dressing:
- 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs chopped fresh herbs (use anything you have on hand – I use a mixture of tarragon, rosemary, sage, parsley & basil)
- Salt & pepper
Great tip for assembling this salad – choose your favorite salad bowl and add all of the dressing ingredients to the bottom of the bowl and stir together (you can also use you favorite bottled balsamic or red wine vinagrette if you prefer.)
Then add the lettuce and toss to coat. Now add all of your vegetable toppings, then the cheese and top with fresh basil. Toss again and that is it!
My mom always likes to serve a salad on the side with dinner, but gets sick of making the same old salad over and over again (sound familiar??). She happily obliged to my offer to whip up my chopped salad; both of my parents loved it!
You can also assemble all of the salad ingredients and leave the dressing on the side and eat it up all week long. Serve it with sliced grilled chicken on top for a delicious lunch or have it alongside dinner. Because of the great mixture of flavors, it goes with anything.
Enjoy!
