Ideas for Chopped Salad

The idea behind a chopped salad is pretty basic: chop greens and stuff into smaller pieces. This makes the salad more dense physically, which results in greater flavor density. The result is that the salad is easier to eat, because I can get a whole mouthful easily, and more flavor (and nutrition) per bite. 

I've come to the conclusion that fundamentally, the recipe for a chopped salad is this: "Clean your refrigerator. Chop it with lettuce. Garnish. Serve."

Here are some ideas for chopped salad:

Ruth's Chris Chop Salad

Ruth's Chris Steak House:

Julienned Spinach radicchio & iceberg lettuce.  (3:1:6 ratio) [Comment: they mold the dressed salad in a piece of (clean) PVC pipe. Looks cool.]

Hearts of palm

Green olives

Sliced mushrooms

Sliced red onions

Diced boiled egg

Blue cheese crumbles

Chopped cooked bacon

Croutons

Lemon basil dressing

Other Interesting Ingredients:

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup fresh or frozen corn, cooked and cooled

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack

tortilla chips or strips (optional)

Lemon Basil Dressing:

2 tablespoons Pommery mustard

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

16 basil leaves, very thinly sliced

Coarse salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Creamy Potato, Kale, And Leek Soup

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4. Consider doubling it.

Prep: 5min Cook: 17min; Total: 23min

• 1 lb red potatoes, unpeeled

• 1 TBSP canola oil

• 1 pound or so of Italian chicken sausage

• 3 cups or so (6 oz) kale, chopped and tightly packed

• 3 cups leek, white and pale green parts, chopped (2 medium leeks)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 cups rice milk

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut potatoes into golf ball size pieces and place on a microwavable plate. Cover with waxed paper. Cook on high, rotating occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in pot, cook the sausage until done. Drain. Add the oil, and heat oil over medium heat. Add kale, leek, and salt. Stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add milk, potatoes, and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium low. With potato masher or back of a large spoon, smash potatoes into small chunks. Simmer until flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with pepper to taste.