Chopped Salad Recipe

➤ Introduction for Chopped Salad Recipe

I discovered this chopped salad thing several years ago when my usual sad desk lunches were getting boring, and I am all in now. I don’t know what it is, but something about chopping everything small makes it better to eat – like every bite has a little bit of everything rather than getting a huge tomato wedge or a boring leaf of lettuce.

What I particularly like about this Chopped Salad is that it fills me up without a side effect of needing a nap after lunch. I throw in some salami, cheese, chickpeas – whatever protein I find leftover – but, suddenly it becomes a meal instead of just rabbit food. The Italian dressing brings it all together to the point that nothing tastes bland or separate.

The chopping part is imperative (and I learned that by messing it up the first couple of times). With everything the same size, you can get every flavor in one forkful as opposed to rummaging around your bowl trying to get the perfect bite with your ingredients. It’s sort of like the difference between a real sandwich, and just eating the components separately.

I make Chopped Salad recipe when I’m trying to eat better and not feel deprived. It has all the fresh veggies my body probably needs but doesn’t taste like food punishment. Also, it looks way fancier than what I did, which is a win, always.

➤ Why l Love This Chopped Salad Recipe

• I appreciate that this Chopped Salad actually qualifies as a full meal instead of just a side to which an hour later I am searching the pantry. It’s packed with protein and vegetables, and it keeps me full enough, and I won’t think about food again until dinner.
• The best part is, I can throw in Chopped Salad whatever is about to expire in my fridge – leftover rotisserie chicken? Great. A random cheese that has been sitting there? No problem. It’s like a clean the fridge recipe that is still delicious.
• I have started prepping all the chopped stuff on Sundays and storing them separately in containers. When it is time for me to eat, I simply dump the whole thing together in a bowl and add the dressing. It takes me approximately two minutes from start to lunch prepared, which works out great on busy days.

➤ Chopped Salad Recipe Ingredients

For the chopped salad, you’ll only need:

•1 big head of iceberg, shredded to smithereens
•1 head of romaine, chopped like you’re under pressure
•2 big tomatoes, diced (don’t smash ’em)
•1 cucumber, chopped (optional, peel it if you’re fancy)
•1/2 red onion, minced so you don’t freak out your date
•1 red bell pepper, chopped (no pressure; butcould be a sweet pepper)

•About 4 ounces of salami, diced(or just put in what you think looks good)
•4 ounces of provolone; diced (you can snack on a few–it’sokay)
•1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (you don’t want can juice in your salad)
•1/4 cup of chopped pepperoncini for that “oh-my-goodness!” zing.

Gather your ingredients to make the Italian dressing. You will need:

•1/3 cup olive oil (if you have good oil, use it—and you definitely should. Life is too short not to; all oils are not created equal)
•2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (seriously, it’s not just for your hair)
•1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is better, but you do you)
•1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (the fancy stuff, or whatever’s in your fridge)
•1 teaspoon dried oregano (yes, that stuff hiding in your back spice cabinet)
•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (because chopping garlic would be a pain)
•1/2 teaspoon salt (taste before you dump)
•1/4 teaspoon black pepper (fresh cracked if you’re trying to be fancy)

➤ How to Make Chopped Salad Recipe

1 • Prepare the lettuce:

•If I’m being good, I thoroughly wash both types of lettuce and dry it as well as I can– soggy lettuce ruins everything. I use my saladspinner, or if I’m being lazy I’m just patting them dry with paper towel. After that I cut everything into small, even pieces and throw it all into my biggest serving bowl.

2 • Prepare vegetables:

•I will dice the tomatoes, cucumber, and red bell pepper small and try to make them roughly the same size so that each bite ofsalad is going to have balance in flavor. I cut up the red onion really fine because nobody wants a massive chunk of raw onion, and I chop up those pepperoncini as well.

3 • Prepare proteins:

•I cut the salami and provolone into small cubes – maybe 1/4-inch or so. After that I drain the chickpeas and rinse them well – I will even pat them dry with paper towel to make sure those don’t get anything soggy.

4 • Make the dressing:

•I grab a tiny bowl, splash in some olive oil, a glug of apple cider vinegar, squeeze in lemon juice, then dollop in that Dijon (don’t be shy). Next, I just throw in oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Honestly, I don’t even measure, just vibes. Then I go to town with a whisk, kinda hoping it all comes together. Usually does.

5 • Toss the salad:

•In my big bowl, I layer the chopped veggies all over the lettuce – it just looks and is so much prettier and colorful that way! Then I add the diced salami, cheese, and chickpeas, trying to spread them around enough so no one gets a bowl full of just lettuce!

6 • Add the tabulent touches:

•I top it all off with a sprinkle of those chopped pepperoncini for some tangy fun, and they make it all look interesting. Then right before I’m ready to serve, I drizzle the dressing all over, never prior, or it makes the salad soggy.

7 • Toss it:

•I use my big salad tongs, or just two spoons, to toss it all together super well. I make sure every piece of salad gets some of the dressing, so everything tastes the same – no dry, bland pieces, or overly-dressed spots.

8 • Serve:

•I either portion it into everyone’s bowl, or let them dig in from the big bowl – depends on how fancy I want it to feel. I always have some extra dressing on the side – there is always that one person who wants more.

➤ Chopped Salad Recipe Tips & Variations

• I realized that your uniformity in size is huge – if you are using big tomatoes and tiny onions, every bite will taste noticeably different. It is worth the extra minute of consistency.
• The lettuce needs to be water free or your dressing will be watery and won’t stick. I learned that at a dinner party the hard wayand had to remake it all.
• I shift proteins all the time, depending on what myfridge situation is, turkey works great, leftover ham is perfect, and I do grilled chicken when I’m trying to be healthier. Hard-boiled eggs are great when I have no meat around.
• Same with cheese – I used mozzarella, since that was what I had, cheddar if I was looking for something sharper, and feta if I was being fancy. If you’re looking to impress someone with your salad with a good look, goat cheese really elevates the taste.

➤Serving Suggestions for Chopped Salad Recipe

• I’ll eat this chopped Salad as my main meal with some crusty bread or maybe a bowl of soup when I want something that actually fills me up. Way more filling than just a salad!
• When I have people over, I just put chopped Salad in my largest bowl with some serving spoons and people just go at it. Nobody’s trying to be fancy – they just want to eat.
• This chopped Salad is fantastic for meal prep since I can portion it out into containers and keep the dressing separate, so I have lunch for the week and I know can grab and go because I won’t have to think about it every morning.

If you are enjoying this chopped salad, be sure to try my shrimp salad recipe next – it has this creamy, rich thing going on that is so great when you want something a little more decadent but still light and fresh. Way more exciting than a boring salad!

➤ Storage and Leftovers

• I always make it right before people get here because it looks way better and doesn’t turn soggy, no one wants two day old wilted lettuce.
• I chop all the veggies ahead of time (taking care not to combine the avocado or anything that can oxidize) and store them in separate containers in the fridge – they’ll stay good for maybe three days that way. So it’s easy to put together when I want to eat it.
• Once you put the dressing on, you’ve got probably 24 hours until it doesn’t look so appetizing anymore – the lettuce wilts and the veggies leak water everywhere.

➤ Chopped Salad Recipe FAQs

Q: Can I make this salad in advance?

⤷ A: Not really – I mean, you can prepare everything separately, but once you put it together and dress it, it turns into sad soggy lettuce.

Q: How do I keep the lettuce from getting soggy?

⤷ A: Wash it very well, then dry it as much as you can. I store it in the fridge until I am ready to eat. Wet lettuce is the enemy of good salad.

Q: Can I use store-bought dressing?

⤷ A: Yes! I’m not judging. Italian dressing works great, ranch dressing if you want to be boring, or caesar dressing if you’re feeling adventurous. Use about a half cup for this amount of salad.

Q: What if I don’t like chickpeas?

⤷ A: You can switch them out for white beans or black beans or just leave them out. Add more cheese or meat to compensate for it. Nobody will complain about extra salami.