It’s Summer!
Summertime is here and I recently noticed my calendar is filling up with cookouts, parties and travels. During the summer, my go-to lunch or dinner is a big chopped salad with a variety of ingredients that all tie together. They are so simple to make and always bursting with flavors that everyone will love. The key with a chopped salad is choosing greens, vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, cheese & a dressing that all complement each other. It’s a lot! But, that is the best part of a chopped salad, they’re surely not boring.
Guide to Making A Chopped Salad
Greens
- Mesculin
- Kale
- Spinach
- Arugala
- Romaine
- Spring
Vegetables
- Cucumber
- Bell Pepper
- Carrots
- Tomato
- Sweet Potato
- Corn
- Red Onion
- Avocado
Fruits
- Grapes
- Apple
- Strawberries
- Rasberries
- Watermelon
- Blueberries
- Apricot
- Peach
- Mango
- Pear
Nuts
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Pine Nuts
- Hazlenuts
- Cashews
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
Protein
- Chicken
- Salmon
- Ahi Tuna
- Steak
- Chickpeas
- Edamame
Cheese
- Goat Cheese
- Parmesan
- Gorgonzola
Dressing
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Olive Oil & Lemon
- Tahini Lemon Dressing
Toss It Up
Next it is creation time! Beginning with greens, you can use just one or combine two different greens. One of my favorite combinations are arugula and spinach. Next, add in the veggies! I love adding avocado, sweet potato, red onion and bell pepper. Add in the fruits, this chopped salad would be even better with strawberries or diced apricot. Add in some toasted hazelnuts and goat cheese. Drizzle on honey balsamic vinaigrette and complete this salad with herb grilled chicken.
Today, I am sharing an AMAZING chopped salad that will be an amazing feature at your next dinner party. This salad is gluten free, clean and delicious.
Arugula Chopped Salad & Blackened Chicken
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 3-4 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Arugala
- 1 Apricot
- 1 Medium Sweet Potato
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Ear of Corn
- 1/4 Red Onion (chopped)
- 1/3 of Bell Pepper (chopped)
- 3 Basil Leaves
- 3 tbsp of Hazelnuts (chopped)
- 2 tbsp Parmesan (freshly grated)
- 3 tbsp of Chopped Pancetta
- 2 tbsp of Olive Oil
- 1 tsp of Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Tahini
- Dash of Garlic Powder
- 1.5 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 2 tsp of Blackening Seasoning
Instructions
Chicken
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees F
- Place breasts into a bowl and flavor with blackening seasoning rub or dash of: garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and chili powder
- In an oven-safe pan, coat with olive oil and place breasts down
- Bake chicken for about 10 minutes on each side until golden brown
- Slice and set aside for salad
Salad
- In a large bowl, place in greens. Next add chopped bell pepper, apricot and red onion
- Poke holes with a fork into sweet potato and heat in microwave for one minute on top side and 30 seconds on bottom, 90 seconds total. Slice sweet potato and then cube, once cooled add into salad
- Next, heat a small pan to medium heat and toss in the pancetta. Allow to cook until crisp and golden, then cool and add into salad
- Boil ear of corn in a pot of water for about five minutes, carefully take a knife and slice down each side. Add the corn into the chopped salad
- Next, add in sliced avocado and slivered basil
- Lastly, roughly chop hazelnuts and heat a small pan to medium heat. Place hazelnuts into pan and lightly toast for about two minutes until golden brown
- Season salad with a little fresh sea salt and pepper
- Toss salad and top with freshly grated parmesan
Dressing
- In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, tahini, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, dijon mustard and 1 tbsp of water
- Drizzle on the dressing, lightly toss and add more if you wish
- Plate salads and pair with blackened chicken, enjoy!
Courses Dinner
I hope you enjoy this dish! I love seeing all of your creations, share them with me Tag @theempowerist on IG or direct message me! With Love & Gratitude, Carly Say Hello: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat