Perfect Chopped Salad

15-MinutesColdCrunchyHeartyNo-CookPotluckSavoryVegetableVegetarian
Time :15 minutes
Yield :8 servings
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Fresh garden salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and cheese, served on a white plate with a dressing jar on the side.

The Scoop

Some salads are just there to fill the bowl, and then there’s this one!
Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, briny olives, and pepperoncini all get chopped into bite-sized pieces, so every forkful gets a little bit of everything. Toss it with zippy Italian dressing, Parmesan, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and suddenly salad feels like something worth getting excited about.
Hack it:
Make it a meal: Add grilled chicken, crispy chickpeas, sliced steak, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, or white beans for extra staying power.
Change the crunch: Add toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, croutons, or crispy chickpeas.
Go Mediterranean: Add roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, and fresh oregano, then swap the Italian dressing for a lemony vinaigrette.
Turn it into an antipasto salad: Add salami, mozzarella, roasted peppers, artichokes, and a handful of pepperoncini.
DIY the dressing: Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper for a quick homemade version.
Leftovers:
Chopped Salad Wrap: Pile the salad into a tortilla with grilled chicken, turkey, or hummus and roll it up for an easy lunch.
Italian Salad Sandwich: Drain off some of the dressing and pile the chopped salad into toasted ciabatta with mozzarella, turkey, or salami.
Grain Bowl: Serve the leftovers over cooked quinoa, farro, or rice with chickpeas and a little extra dressing.
Pasta Salad: Toss the leftover vegetables with cooked pasta, extra Italian dressing, mozzarella, and Parmesan for a second-day lunch.
 

Ingredients

  • 1 romaine heart, chopped
  • 5 cups leafy lettuce, chopped
  • 1 large shallot, sliced
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup ripe green olives, halved
  • 1/2 cup Italian dressing
  • 1/2 cup jarred sliced pepperoncini
  • 1/4 cup parmesan, shavings or shredded, plus more, to taste, for serving
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

  • Combine the romaine, the lettuce, the shallots, the cucumbers, the tomatoes, the olives, the Italian dressing, the pepperoncini, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, and the red pepper flakes together, tossing to ensure everything is evenly coated in the dressing.
  • Serve topped with the extra parmesan.
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