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Chopped salads are incredibly simple to make – you have to give them a go. If nothing else, they can offer you some chopping practice, so why not make something tasty while you’re practicing your knife skills? Anyone can make these salads – just make sure you use a good, sharp chef’s knife and your biggest chopping board – and watch your fingers!
What I want to show you here is that the sky’s the limit when it comes to the different ingredients you can add to a chopped salad – you can use whatever’s available. The only rule I would give you is to always include a couple of handfuls of crunchy lettuce to give your salad a really good texture. Try out different things, and don’t feel obliged to use the same old stuff all the time. Bell peppers, tomatoes, herb sprigs, different types of cheese … you can get any or all of these into a chopped salad.
Yield : Each salad serves 4
Ingredients
Everyday green chopped salad:
- 4 scallions
- ½ a cucumber
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- 2 small, just ripe avocados
- 1 butterhead lettuce
- Large handful sprouted cress or alfafa
- Optional: 2 ounces Cheddar cheese
- Extra virgin oil
- Red wine vinegar
- English Mustard
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Posh chopped salad :
- 1 carrot
- 1 bulb of fennel
- A small handful of radishes
- 1 Romaine lettuce
- 2 white Belgian endives
- 8 ounces smoked salmon
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A small bunch of fresh dill
Mediterranean chopped salad:
- A small handful of black olives
- ½ a red onion
- 1 red chile
- 3 firm ripe tomatoes
- 1 Romaine lettuce
- A bunch of fresh basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For Everyday Chopped Salad:
Get yourself a big chopping board and large sharp knife. It’s best to start by chopping the harder, crunchier veggies first, so trim and chop your scallions and slice your cucumber. Slice your basil. Bring it all into the center of the board and continue chopping and mixing together. Halve your avocados around the big pit. Carefully remove the pit and peel the skin off. Add the avocado flesh, lettuce leaves, and cress or alfafa to the board. Crumble over the cheese, if using and continue chopping. When everything is well chopped, you’ll have a big mound of salad on the board. Make a well in the middle and drizzle in 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add a teaspoon of English mustard and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix up so everytihg gets well coated and serve on the board or in a bowl.
For Posh Chopped Salad:
Get yourself a large chopping board and a sharp knife. Start by chopping the harder, crunchier veggies first. Peel, trim and chop your carrot, fennel plus its herby tops and radishes. Bring it all to the center of the board and continue chopping and mixing together. Add the lettuce and endive leaves and chop them up too. When everything is well chopped, you’ll have a big mound of salad on the board. Slice the salmon into small pieces and mix in. Make a well in the middle and drizzle in 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix up so everything gets dressed, sprinkle with some chopped dill, and serve straight from the board or in a bowl.
For Mediterranean Chopped Salad:
Get yourself a large chopping board and a large sharp knife. Press down on the olives with the palm of your hand to squeeze the pits out, then discard the pits. Start choppng the harder, crunchier veggies first. Peel and slice your onion, halve, seed, and finely chop your chile. Chop the olives and the tomatoes. Bring it all into the center of the board and continue chopping and mixing together. Add the lettuce leaves and basil and chop them up too. When everything is well chopped, you’ll have a big mound of salad on the boar. Make a well in the middle and drizzle in 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix up so everything gets dressed and serve straight from the board or in a bowl.
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