CHOPPED SALADS
There are endless variations and no need for a recipe. Here are a few things to keep in mind when assembling a chopped salad. These tips are from the great food blog the Kitchn.
skip the lettuce
the allure of a chopped salad comes from all those small crunchy bits mixed together. the lettuce only gets in the way – save it for a “regular” salad.
use beans
beans are bite sized and their creamy texture is a great complement to the other crunchy bits. any beans are good: black, white, kidney, adzuki, great northern, garbanzo, etc…
watch out for watery fruit & veg
tomatoes can be hard to chop without getting liquid everywhere – not to mention waterlogging your chopped salad. try cherry tomatoes instead.
always toss with the dressing
you want the dressing to perfectly coat every little square and nugget, so that when you scoop up a forkful, you get all the flavors together. drizzling the dressing over the top just doesn’t seem to do the same job.
BUILDING A CHOPPED SALAD
Here’s a list of ingredients for mixing & matching ~ just choose a few from each category.
VEG
- cucumber
- peppers
- celery
- corn kernels
- fennel
- radishes
- mushrooms
- grated beets
- zucchini
- potatoes
- red onion
- green beans
- cherry tomatoes
- carrots
- peas
- pretty much anything you’ve got on hand that’s crunchy
PROTEIN
- cooked chicken
- tempeh
- hard boiled eggs
- dried cooked beans (canned is also fine)
- salmon or tuna
- grilled steak
- diced ham
- turkey
- cooked sausage
- bacon
FRUIT – fresh & dried
- apples
- berries
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- currants
- grapes
- figs
- apricots
NUTS & SEEDS
- sliced almonds
- sunflower seeds
- pecans
- walnuts
- pistachios
- pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- pine nuts
CHEESE
EXTRAS
- olives
- lacto-fermented beets or carrots
- sundried tomatoes
- pickled garlic
- anchovies
- canned artichoke hearts
Combine your chosen ingredients in a salad bowl and dress with your favorite vinaigrette or simply oil & vinegar.
EAT WELL AND BE WELL