The Ultimate Chopped Green Salad – Light, Flavorful, and Simple

 

I really love salads and pride myself on being able to put together a salad using just about any ingredients.  There is something really refreshing and delicious about a freshly made salad, the lettuce and vegetables all crisp and bathed in a delicious vinaigrette dressing.

I learned how to make salads from my mother.  Mom was not a person who enjoyed company in the kitchen, helping out. She preferred to just get on with things herself, but she did not mind if we watched from a distance. 

I was a watcher and loved watching her prepare her salads. She never really used a recipe for any of it, but went about the chore methodically and deliberately, taking great care with every aspect of the process, beginning with the dressing, early in the afternoon.

She would measure a quantity of vinegar into a bowl and then dice some onion, adding it to the vinegar along with salt and pepper, and perhaps a pinch of sugar. This would sit and macerate for several hours before she added anything else.

Near to supper time, she would prepare and dice her vegetables, usually cucumber, radishes and celery, often tomatoes. These would go into the bowl along with the torn lettuce. She would then add a quantity of salad oil and everything would be tossed together.  These salads were always very delicious.

The recipe I am sharing with you today is for a simple chopped green salad.  Everything that goes into it is green. Lettuce, parsley, chives, cucumber, peas, olives, etc.  All green, but in varying shades of green that complement each other perfectly both in flavor and in texture.  

You get the crisp crunch of the lettuce and celery, which goes beautifully with the bold aromatic flavor and texture of the flat leaf parsley. Curly parsley would not work here. Contrast that with thin, almost melon-like, slices of crisp cucumber and the sweetness of baby peas. Buttery green olives add yet another flavor note.  The zest of spring onions and chives complete and compliment all of the other ingredients perfectly.

The dressing is the king here.  A tangy herbed vinaigrette with simple flavors. It draws everything together in unison and helps to highlight all of the other flavors of the salad in a beautifully delicious way.  

Altogether, this is one very tasty salad! Perfect as a light lunch or as a dinner side.  Enjoy!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MY CHOPPED GREEN SALAD 

with a 

WHITE BALSAMIC DRESSING

Simple to find, easy to use, common ingredients, put together in the most delicious way!

For the Salad:

• 1 heart of romaine lettuce, washed, and chopped
• a handful of washed and dried flat leaf parsley leaves
• 1 spring onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, coarsely chopped, along with some leaves if possible
• a 3-inch piece of English Cucumber, washed, unpeeled
• a handful of frozen petit pois, thawed and drained
• 1 TBS chopped chives
• about 8 oil-cured pitted green olives, sliced

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup (60ml) of good quality olive oil
• 2 TBS good quality White Balsamic Vinegar
• pinch sugar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried dill weed
• 1 TBS chopped fresh chives

 

I like to use the heart of the romaine lettuce because it is more compact and cuts into nice squares. You could of course use any lettuce you enjoy. Iceberg would be nice also. If I was in the U.K. I would use Baby Gem lettuce. It was always my favorite. It is small and compact and has a nice almost bitter flavor that works very well in a salad.

English Cucumber is best because the skins are easily digestible and add color to the salad.

Spring onions are called Scallions or Green Onions in North America. You can use both the white and the green parts of the onion.

Fresh chives are best as is fresh flat leaf parsley.  I love the flavor of the parsley in this salad. Just leave the leaves whole, but do discard the stems.

You can de-string the celery if you wish. I usually do because the strings can get caught in the teeth. Do this before chopping.  Grab the strings at the end of the stalk and hold between the blade of a knife and your index finger.  Pull gently down and they will separate from the stalk very easily.

Use a good quality Balsamic vinegar, the best that you can afford. It really does make a difference in taste. White because of the color. If you are not bothered about that, you can use a good red balsamic. The white just looks nicer against the greens of the salad.

Castelvetrano Olives are lovely. That is what I recommend. They have a beautiful flavor and color.

 

HOW TO MAKE MY CHOPPED GREEN SALAD

This is a very simple salad to make. So easy a child could make it!

1. First prepare all of your vegetables. You will want to cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, remove all of the seeds from the cucumber and then slice it into very thin half moons.
2. Prepare two chilled salad plates as follows: Place on the bottom of each plate, half of the chopped lettuce along with half of the parsley leaves.
3. Top with the chopped celery, then the chopped spring onions.
4. Scatter the peas over top along with the sliced cucumber
5. Sprinkle each with half of the sliced olives and then finally sprinkle with half of the chives.
6. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake well to combine.
7. Drizzle the emulsified dressing over each salad in equal portions. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

I always wash all of my fresh vegetables before using them. Lettuce, cucumbers, green onions etc.  I like to keep the skin on the cucumber for color, but I do remove the seed and discard.

Chop your lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Pieces that will fit easily onto a fork and into the mouth without needing to cut into smaller pieces.

Chilling your salad plates makes a huge difference. You might not think such a simple thing would, but it really does show an attention to detail and the vegetables stay chilled longer.

 

KITCHEN NOTES

You can double or triple the vinaigrette dressing and keep it in a jar in the refrigerator, ready to dress a salad any time.

You can adapt the type of lettuce used. In the U.K. I was very partial to Baby Gem Lettuce, which is not available here in Canada. Just bear in mind that any lettuce will wilt in the dressing so don't dress it until just before you go to serve it.

A chilled plate makes any salad taste better!  It also shows that you have a great attention to detail!

Always use the best and freshest ingredients that you can afford. 

Wash all of your salad leaves and herbs before making the salad. This gets rid of any sand or dirt, insects, etc. A Salad Spinner always makes short work of drying them off when you are done.  This is the one that I use.  I like it so much that I bought one for my sister to use.

Alternately, you can pat them dry with paper kitchen toweling.

 

A  FEW MORE SALADS THAT YOU MIGHT ENJOY

I love salads and could eat at least one every day, no matter the time of year. Here are a few more favorite salads that I enjoy! Hopefully you will too!

CHICKEN TACO SALAD - This is a flavor-packed meal that’s as wholesome as it is delicious. Crisp romaine lettuce is topped with seasoned chicken strips, crunchy veggies, shredded cheddar, and crushed baked tortilla chips—all brought together with a creamy, smoky chipotle-lime dressing that’s low in fat but high in wow. Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring. It can be bold, colorful and downright crave-worthy! This salad is endlessly adaptable and perfect for lunch or a light dinner!

BACON & EGG SALAD - Crispy baby gem lettuce (or romaine) topped with smoky roasted bacon, sweet blistered cherry tomatoes, crunchy golden brown croutons, and perfectly soft boiled eggs. topped with a zesty Parmesan-Lemon dressing that is creamy, tangy, and delicious. Light, yet filling and packed with protein and crunch, this makes the perfect lunch or supper! When you are looking for a salad that doesn't feel like a compromise, this one delivers. You CAN have your bacon and eat it too!

 

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Yield: two servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Chopped Green Salad

Prep time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min

A delicious chopped salad with a lovely white balsamic dressing. This makes a fabulous light lunch or side!

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 1 heart of romaine lettuce, washed, and chopped
• a handful of washed and dried flat leaf parsley leaves
• 1 spring onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, coarsely chopped, along with some leaves if possible
• a 3-inch piece of English Cucumber, washed, unpeeled
• a handful of frozen petit pois, thawed and drained
• 1 TBS chopped chives
• about 8 oil-cured pitted green olives, sliced

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup (60ml) of good quality olive oil
• 2 TBS good quality White Balsamic Vinegar
• pinch sugar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried dill weed
• 1 TBS chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. First prepare all of your vegetables. You will want to cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, remove all of the seeds from the cucumber and then slice it into very thin half moons.
2. Prepare two chilled salad plates as follows: Place on the bottom of each plate, half of the chopped lettuce along with half of the parsley leaves.
3. Top with the chopped celery, then the chopped spring onions.
4. Scatter the peas over top along with the sliced cucumber
5. Sprinkle each with half of the sliced olives and then finally sprinkle with half of the chives.
6. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake well to combine.
7. Drizzle the emulsified dressing over each salad in equal portions. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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