Don’t get me wrong, I love salads. But there’s no denying that salads can get boring. But since I know I have to eat my veggies, I’m thankful for chopped salads to help mix things up.
When I lived in NYC, chopped salads were on every corner at a specialty salad shops, but they cost a fortune. So it’s liberating living in Park City now with a normal sized kitchen and I can make my own.
Chopped salads are just like regular salads, only the ingredients are chopped, greens and all, and incorporated together instead of layered. It’s a minor detail, but one with lots of options and for some reason they seem more filling.
A chopped salad is basically anything you like, cut into small chunks and mixed together with dressing. There is no right or wrong here, but we think we came up with a good combination. It has a nice mix of crunch and freshness. This type of salad will hold up a little longer than fresh lettuce and you can make it a little bit ahead of time, so it is great for a picnic or to bring to someone’s house.
The below options make a great combination but feel free to adjust to your tastes and chop chop away!
Ingredients
- Equal parts chopped:
- Red pepper
- Yellow pepper
- Cucumber
- Carrots, chopped or grated
- Pickled beets
- Fresh mozzarella
- Fresh corn, cut off cob and lightly steamed
- Fresh peas, shelled and lightly steamed
- Optional: smoked turkey
- Sprinkle of toasted pine nuts
- Fresh basil
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with the salad dressing (recipe below)
Instructions
- Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Mix the mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until the mixture is thick and well combined.
