If you're a chopped salad fan (like me) you need this crunchy salad in your life. This goes with just about anything. I sometimes pile it on a plate next to hummus and crackers, and other times drizzle tahini dressing and roasted butternut squash and yams for a balance of warm, cool, crunchy, savory, and sweet all in one bowl.
I'm also sharing one of my most loved salad dressings, creamy lemon vinaigrette. No diary or other stuff needed. Just olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, a bit of sweetener, and whirl it in a mini blender or other blender.
To add some heft to your salad you can use tahini dressing, or dress with the creamy lemon vinaigrette (recipes below. A little trick you may be aware of: don't add the dressing until you're ready to eat the salad. Or only add enough dressing to lightly coat the veggies. If you want to go really light, and just wing it by adding some lemon and olive oil and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Chopped Salad & Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or Roma, or other tomatoes, diced into small bite-size pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1 large red pepper trimmed and diced into small bite-size pieces
- 4 Persian cucumbers or other seedless cucumbers
- 1 small red onion trimmed, peeled, and diced into small bite-size pieces
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place all the diced veggies in a colander and let any excess liquid drain. There won't be much and this step is optional.
- When ready to serve the salad, add the creamy lemon vinaigrette or other dressing. Another option is to add some lemon juice, olive oil, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup or other sweetener and blend with a spoon or spatula.
- Store in the refrigerator for a few days.
Nutrition
Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or other vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, or other sweetener
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small blender or other blender and process for several seconds until creamy.
- Store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
Nutrition
Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Blender optional
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup tahini creamy, no additives
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove peeled and minced (or diced if you're blending the dressing)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup icy cold water
- drizzle of honey optional to reduce any bitterness; or maple syrup or other sweetener
Instructions
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the cold water and whisk for a bit or until it becomes creamy and lighter.
- Store in the refrigerator for a week or so. It will thicken while in the refrigerator so feel free to add a little more cold water and whisk again, or just leave it on the counter to bring to room temperature.
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