Chop Salad with Light Vinaigrette #MeatlessMonday
Are you a salad person? Big fan of salads here – often times for dinner it’s just a big bowl of salad and tonight will be no different! How about a chop salad, have you ever had one? The first time I had a chop salad was many, many years ago in Minneapolis at the Palomino.
At the time it was a pretty swanky restaurant (I believe it’s closed now in Minneapolis though they have many locations across the country) and I just thought it was the yummiest salad – wasn’t cheap, but very delicious, full of great crunch!
Chop Salad
The other day I was watching a re-run of the Pioneer Woman on Food Network – she was making chop salads for her girls. She had both knives chopping away – salad flying everywhere – the kids loved it, so much fun! Now I don’t have that kind of mad knife skills, nor that big of a cutting board!
And if you don’t have those skills either, there are some great tool shortcuts to get you there. Like this great bowl/chopper set. My buddy Nicole SWEARS by it – she loves salads and her favorite way to enjoy them is a chopped salad – tools like this make it a TON easier! (Her words, not mine!). Anyway, there are a ton of opinions of similar products if you are interested, just head over and check it out on Amazon.
Chop Salad
Want an inexpensive option? How about Subway, have you tried their chop salad? The veggie salad it’s just $6 bucks! Amazing price, fast-food salad – they have this fancy knife thing (like I showed you above) that cuts everything up really fast. Great value and delicious light meal.
Why not make your own chop salad and this vinaigrette – quick & easy – incredibly light & flavorful!
Light Vinaigrette
Bright, light and tasty a homemade vinaigrette is always 100 times better than store bought!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Pour all of the ingredients except the olive oil into a blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds.
- With blender on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
- Keeps in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Chop Salad
Chop salads can be made with your favorite salad ingredients. The key is to finely chop them. You don't want anything, including the lettuce much larger than the size of a pea.
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 8-10 cups mixed greens
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/4 red onion
- 1/2 cucumber seeded
- 1 carrot
- 1 rib of celery
- 4-5 mushrooms
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Very simple - chop all of the ingredients! Take your time - chop everything small, top with Light Vinaigrette or your favorite salad dressing.
- Additional ingredients - tomatoes, broccoli, sunflower seeds, peanuts or cashews, olives, hard boiled eggs, peas, kidney beans, edamame - use your favorite vegetables and lighten up your meal!
Chop Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette – make with your favorite salad ingredients. The key is to finely chop them about the size of a pea.
lois says
This just looks so fresh and tasty. Can’t wait to try it.
Bowl Me Over says
So delicious Lois, I bet you’ll really enjoy it!
Bill Schlack says
Why add water to the dressing? Is it just to lighten the vinegar or is there another reason?
Bowl Me Over says
Yes, trying to lighten up the flavor of the dressing without adding a lot of fat or heaviness. One of my favorite salad dressing is from a restaurant just around the corner from you guys – Mirabelle – love their light vinaigrette, this is my version of that! Good to hear from you Bill!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
This sounds delicious and Herbs de Provence have such a wonderful way of bringing everything to life!
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Kimberly, lots-o-crunch with this salad, we loved the dressing too! 😀
Stephanie @CopyKat.com says
I would like to give this a try I am trying to pack more lunches to take to work. This salad looks healthy and hearty at the same time. Thank you for sharing.
Bowl Me Over says
It keeps really well if it’s well sealed & no salad dressing. I’ve kept it for 3 days in fridge. It would be perfect for lunch the next day!
Christie says
I prefer the way you made the vinaigrette. I no longer make a vinaigrette with mostly oil. I love the vinegar to shine through. This sounds like the perfect salad for any day of the week.
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Christie – feeling the same way about the vinaigrette. Seems like we all went thru a time where we tried to mask the flavor with many other ingredients. Let it shine I say! 😀
Ali @ Home & Plate says
Sometimes a salad just hits the spot. Love the addition of herbs de provence in the dressing. Looks delish.
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you Ali – appreciate you stopping by!
Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says
Yum – full of different veggies, this is my kind of lunch! That vinaigrette sounds delicious – love the champagne vinegar and herbs de provence combo!
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Faith, I hope you give it a try!
Sandi Gaertner (@sandigtweets) says
Beautiful salad for meatless Monday. I am trying to eat less meat so this salad is a great dish for us to try.
Bowl Me Over says
Us too Sandi, I just don’t feel like I need that much meat in my diet.
KC the Kitchen Chopper says
Well Duh, I love this. Amazing, colorful, healthful. Sooo my kind of “meal in a bowl”.
Bowl Me Over says
Hahaha, I knew you would KC! 😀
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
I love salads in the autumn so really drooling over this one. And hey I tend to chop my salads too.
Bowl Me Over says
There’s such a bounty of produce in the fall, so wonderful!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
This salad looks delicious! Awesome recipe!
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
A salad that eats like a meal. My wife would love how you chopped it.
Healing Tomato says
This looks so healthy and fun to eat. So easy to assemble. I am always looking for a quick lunch recipe that is healthy and fun to eat. This is the recipe that fits all the categories. YUM!