I love salad. In fact, I eat one almost every day for lunch. I grow a lot of lettuce, and so it is easy to run down to the garden and make a fresh greens salad quickly and easily all summer long. But sometimes, I crave a little more substance for a meal and recently made a dinner salad so good that I remade it for lunch the next day.
A chopped salad is basically anything you like, cut into small chunks and mixed together with dressing. There is no right or wrong here, and anything goes, but I like the combination I came up with. It was a nice mix of crunch and freshness and was so filling that I couldn’t even finish one bowl. 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 lunch on a boat or a picnic.
The below options make a great combination but feel free to adjust to your tastes.
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.
This column was originally published the Jackson Hole News and Guide.