This is the best chopped salad recipe you’ll need! Make a batch to enjoy for lunch throughout the week or serve at your next gathering. Every time I serve this salad I get rave reviews! It is packed with delicious ingredients including candied pecans, red onions, avocado, tomatoes and more!
One of my mom’s food specialties is making delicious salads. I remember craving her salad creations as a kid, which I now realize is a little strange since my boys won’t go within ten feet of one. Salads are like cookies! HA!
Ok, they’re not at all like cookies, but both salads and cookies lend for a ton of creativity. Lettuce is the blank, inviting canvas, begging for color and texture. And veggies! And whatever else you desire. This Chopped Salad recipe answers all those cravings with one bowl full of perfect bite size ingredients.
I’ve tested a lot of chopped salads in my life. I almost always order the chopped salad at restaurants because I’m always curious what ingredients I’ll find hidden inside. I like to bring chopped salad to almost every holiday meal where it always get rave reviews so you can be assured it’ll be enjoyed by you and your guests too.
LEARN HOW TO CUT AN AVOCADO WITH THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL
What is a chopped salad?
A chopped salad has bite-size pieces of fresh crunchy vegetables including vegetables, cheese and nuts. You’ll usually have a vinaigrette or Italian dressing mixed in.
What ingredients go into a chopped salad?
The beautiful thing about a chopped salad is that you can choose which ingredients go into it! Romaine or iceberg lettuce (or a spring mix) are great options for chopped salads and you can use whichever vegetables, meat and/or nuts you desire. Candied Pecans are a great addition to any chopped salad!
Which dressings taste best on a chopped salad?
There are SO many dressings that go well in chopped salads. You can’t go wrong with a ranch dressing like this Avocado Ranch Dressing or a delicious vinaigrette like this Orange-Herb Vinaigrette or this Lemon Vinaigrette. Italian dressing also pairs well with chopped salads, but my all-time favorite is the Raspberry Vinaigrette in this recipe. See the recipe card below for full instructions. It is beyond easy to make and it is out-of-this-world delicious.
RECIPE NOTES
This salad makes a very large batch, so it is a great option for medium to large gatherings. You may want to cut ingredient amounts in half for a smaller family meal or for a few days’ worth of lunches.
If you plan to enjoy the salad over the course of a few days, keep the dressing and salad in separate bowls in the fridge and add as needed, just before serving/gobbling.
You might be tempted to skip out on the Candied Pecans, but don’t! Please! They are super easy to make and they transform this salad into something something magical.
Replace the dried cherries with dried cranberries, if you’d like! I’ve used both and both are great.
Enjoy! Have a great week and I hope the beginning of this new year is great!
Best Chopped Salad
Ingredients
CHOPPED SALAD
- 12 cups assorted salad greens (spring mix, romaine and/or iceberg), rinsed and broken or chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup chopped Candied Pecans
- 2/3 cup dried cherries
- 8 oz. container cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2 avocados peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 of a red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
MAKE THE SALAD
- In a large bowl, combine the greens, pecans, cherries, tomatoes, avocados, red onion and feta cheese. Toss to combine.
MAKE THE DRESSING
- In a small bowl, whisk together the raspberry jam, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate both bowls until ready to serve.
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
- Just before serving, pour the dressing into the salad bowl and toss until coated. Serve immediately!
I've made this salad several times over the past year or so, and it was just requested for Christmas dinner! Happy holidays! 🙂
I made your dressing to go on a beet spinach salad tonight (cooked beets, spinach, orange segments, red onion, and walnuts). Yum! It was easy and delicious!
Such a beautiful looking salad! You take some of the best pictures Megan, I'm really very jealous!