Welcome to Week 7 of the Sizzling Summer Salad Blog!

How many times have you been to a restaurant and have ordered a ‘chopped salad’ item on the menu?  Chopped salads are becoming quite popular in some local and national chain restaurants.  They are loaded with interesting salad ingredients, and are quite filling and satisfying.  The best part – it’s all CHOPPED into small pieces, so that when you fill your fork, you taste the flavorful combination of all ingredients.    

Try them at home and create a salad bar in your refrigerator.  Wash and chop salad greens into small pieces and store in a glass bowl, plastic container, or large plastic bag lined with paper towels to absorb moisture prior to serving. Store leftover cooked or raw veggies separately, as you may want to include them in your chopped salads. 

This particular chopped salad included salad greens of romaine and spinach.  To the greens corn kernels, chopped ripe tomatoes, crispy bacon, red onion, chopped mushrooms, goat cheese, apples, and walnuts were added.  Create flavors that you like best, and ‘chop’ all ingredients into tiny bite-size pieces.  Call in the kids – it’s just the right size to fit on their forks! 

Salad Ingredient Suggestions:

Greens:  Iceburg, Romaine, Spinach

Vegetables:  Asparagus, Corn, Mushrooms 

Fruits:  Apples, Grapes, Olives, Tomatoes

Beans & Legumes:  Chickpeas, White beans

Cheese & Tofu:  Gorgonzola, Blue Cheese, Goat, Feta

Meats & Poultry:  Crispy Pancetta, Grilled Chicken, Crispy Bacon

Fish & Shellfish:  Grilled Shrimp, Grilled Scallops, Grilled Salmon

Dressings:  Creamy Ranch, Balsamic, Red Wine, Roasted Garlic

Seeds and Nuts:  Toasted Sunflower, Toasted Pumpkin, Toasted Walnuts

* A NOTE on Dressings:  They may be purchased and ready-made, or create your own.  Personally, my all-time favorite is extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which is also one of the healthiest.

 Buon Appetito!

Cynthia

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