How to Make the Best Chopped Salad at Home

I love salads and I grew up on salads, but after a while they can get boring if you don't change them up every now and then. I have made all varieties of salads over the years but have recently created by far my favorite salad ever. I have been to a few steakhouses that offer a chopped salad as their dinner salad and I have always loved them. In these tough times though I can't afford to go out very often so I've come up with a great chopped salad you can make right at home any time you want. I have yet to find anyone who does not love this salad.

The first thing you need is a cutting board and a good sharp knife so you don't bruise the lettuce too much. I start with a large bowl for mixing the salad and chop up a combination of romaine lettuce, a nice spring mix of lettuce and to help boost it's health factor, I always add some chopped spinach. However, if you don't like spinach, then by all means omit it from the salad. You can also use a variety of any lettuce you like. If I can find it, I also like to use some butter lettuce as it adds a nice smooth texture and that lettuce loves the dressing.

There are certain things that I like to add, all of which I chop into very small bits. My favorites are marinated artichokes (see my article on Vigo Artichokes here), green olives, scallion, hearts of palm, cucumber and tomato. Just make sure to remove the seedy centers when chopping the tomato so as to not water down the salad.

You can add just about anything else you like to the salad, but the above ingredients make the salad taste real close to those great restaurant salads that you get chopped. I have also used sweet onion when I didn't have any scallions available. Whatever items you decide to add, just make sure that you chop everything real small. I then add a handful of shredded cheese to the bowl. You can use an Italian blend or even cheddar if that's what you prefer.

The final touch to this wonderful salad is the dressing and it couldn't be simpler. The dressing of choice for me is to coat the entire salad with a good virgin olive oil. You want to use an oil that has a mild taste, but don't be afraid to use any that you have. Even a good dark colored strong olive oil will work, but the milder ones won't drown out the taste of the salad. I then add a couple capfuls of Apple Cider Vinegar. You can get these in many store brands or Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. The health benefits of this particular vinegar are endless, so use as much or as little as you want. I usually use a slightly smaller amount of the apple cider vinegar as I like to also add some balsamic vinegar. I don't use any particular brand because I like them all just the same. I sprinkle enough of the balsamic vinegar over the top of the salad to coat. It's always easy to add more, but not so easy to remove some, so add a little at a time until you know how much you like.

All your ingredients are now ready to toss and serve. Make sure to toss the salad well to get it all coated and the dressing mixed up. You can then serve it as is or I also like to add some sliced almonds, croutons or a crunchy salad topping such as McCormick Salad Toppings which is a mixture of nuts, herbs and bacon to the salad. Either way this is a delicious salad to go with any meal or to eat on its own. If the salad is your meal it would also be great if you added some chopped meats such as ham and turkey. Believe me when I say that you will make this salad time and time again.