Chopped Salad
A chopped salad can make greens so much more palatable for anyone greens-hesitant, and it’s really fun to eat for greens lovers as well. I grew up on Russian salads, where the fine chop and uniformity of the pieces was considered crucial to the success of the salad (to be clear, those salads didn’t have any greens in them; they usually had a base of potatoes and/or hard boiled eggs). I still swoon at the taste of a good chopped salad. This one is nothing like the salads I grew up on - it’s fresh and bright, with plenty of punchy, vinegary flavors and a little spice.
Chopped Salad
serves 4-6
for the dressing
juice from 1 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme or oregano
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
for the salad
1 medium bunch Romaine lettuce (or a mix of different lettuces), finely chopped
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 English cucumber, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz/425 g can)
1/2 cup olives, quartered
4-5 medium pepperoncini, finely chopped
To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, oil, mustard, vinegar, thyme/oregano, salt and pepper to taste in a medium jar with a lid. Seal tightly and shake until the dressing is emulsified.
To make the salad, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, olives, and pepperoncini in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to your liking (you might not need to use it all) and stir to combine. Enjoy right away.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
The ingredients in this salad can, of course, be switched up according to the season and what you have on hand. Just stay with the formula of greens, juicy vegetables, beans or roasted vegetables for substance, and something pickled/vinegary/spicy like olives, pepperoncini, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc., and you’ll be golden.