Chopped Salad

This is a great salad! It has been around for years, and if memory serves, originally came from Michele’s sister. It is extremely flexible, with many options. This is one of those that begs for some creativity. You really should have some fun with it. At the very least, try to keep in the sugared almonds (absolutely delicious) and the Mandarin Orange sections…

Chopped Salad

Ingredients

Salad

2 heads, tender Romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped (bi-laterally, to avoid long stringy pieces)

1-2 cups chopped/sliced celery hearts

6-8 green onions (scallions), cleaned and chopped, using an inch or two of the green part as well

½ pint of cherry/grape tomatoes, cleaned, drained, and cut in half

2 small cans Mandarin Orange sections, drained

Dressing (see below)

Prepared, cooled, and broken apart almond slices (see below)

Combine the first five ingredients in a salad, or serving bowl, and mix to combine well. The dressing can be applied now and the salad served, tossed and already dressed, or, the dressing can be served with the salad and applied by your guests, individually. Top salad with the almond pieces before serving.

Dressing

½ tsp salt

½ tsp of fresh ground black pepper

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 TBSP of finely chopped fresh parsley (½ TBSP if dried)

1 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce

2 TBSPS apple cider vinegar

Combine all of the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. If low-sodium soy sauce isn’t available, use the regular stuff, but omit the ½ tsp salt. Whisk well to emulsify and taste to adjust. If dressing the salad in the bowl and tossing before serving, start slowly and add a little dressing at a time, so as to not “drown” your salad.

Prepared Almonds

¾ cup sliced almonds

3 TBSPS granulated sugar

(2 TBSPS butter, in not using a non-stick pan)

In a small non-stick skillet, over low to medium heat, add the almonds and sugar together and stir to combine. Paying careful attention not to burn the sugar to the almonds, slowly work the sugar and almonds in the pan until the sugar melts, coats the almonds and just begins to caramelize and turn brown. The difference in time between the almonds being perfect and the almonds being burned is not real great. It’s nothing to stress over; just don’t go make a long-distance phone call after you put your ingredients in the pan. Remove from the heat and immediately turn them out onto parchment paper or aluminum foil and “un-clumped” as much as possible. After they cool, they can be broken apart into little pieces and clusters, just right for sprinkling on your Chopped Salad. (Don’t stop there: ice cream sundaes with these sprinkled on them, or warm cinnamon rolls, or granola, on top of muffins, seriously…the imagination runs just a little bit wild…make them, taste them, trust me…)

Other stuff to do to/with this salad:

• Just about any greenery will work for this salad; chop up some iceberg lettuce; I have made it with cabbages, if you’re not too freaked out about allowable fecal matter particles per million, I suppose you could use some of that artificial tasting bagged stuff (please be careful)…Boston, Bibb, Endive, Radicchio, you really can’t go wrong.
• Additions: again, just about anything goes; dried fruit(s), sunflower seeds, goat/feta cheese, Bok-choy, radishes, red onion, chopped hard-boiled egg, grated cheddar cheese, olives, peppers…the more the merrier!
• Proteins: make a meal and add protein; beef tips and bleu cheese, sliced sirloin and mushrooms, shredded chicken and cheddar, chopped cooked fish…
• Chopped basil, fresh or roasted garlic, thyme, oregano…
• Go Asian!: Add water chestnuts and baby corn to the salad. Add some garlic, ginger, and sesame oil to the dressing. Add crunched up chow mein noodles on top with the sugared almonds…
• Go Latin!: Add taco seasoned ground hamburger (cooked just like you would for making tacos), about a ½ pound, rinse and drain a can of black-eyed peas, or your favorite bean, and about ¼ to ½ pound of good sharp cheddar, grated. Stir in a little taco seasoning mix into the dressing. Jalapenos, either in the salad, or dressing, are optional. Top with crumbled corn chips and the sugared almonds…