Why are chopped salads so popular?

The allure of the chopped salad is multi-faceted. From a technical standpoint, the cutting of all ingredients into a uniform size and tossing them together means you'll be able to taste everything in each bite .

How long does chopped salad stay fresh?

How long does salad last in the fridge? Stored correctly, an average salad will last up to five days in the fridge. Any longer than this, and you'll start to see soggy, wilting leaves. Stored incorrectly, and you could be looking at no more than a couple of hours!

How do you keep chopped salad crisp?

Use a Salad Spinner: Before chopping your vegetables, use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture. This will help to keep the vegetables crisp and fresh for longer. Store in an Airtight Container: Once you have chopped your vegetables, store them in an airtight container.

What tool do you use to make chopped salad?

The salad chopper does have the advantage of acting as a simultaneous mixer and fine-dicer. Once I'd prepped everything, I piled each salad's ingredients on the cutting board and went ham with a mezzaluna chopper, using it to simultaneously chop and toss the ingredients together.

Should I wash chopped salad?

Additional washing of ready-to-eat leafy green salads is not likely to increase safety . The risk of cross-contamination from food handlers and food contact surfaces used during washing may outweigh any safety benefit that further washing may do.

Do you need to wash chopped salad?

Yes, it's important to wash all fresh produce, but especially leafy greens and lettuce . Harmful bacteria from the soil can contaminate fruits and vegetables and lead to a foodborne illness if consumed. There's a higher risk associated with produce that is eaten raw, like romaine lettuce and salad greens.

Where did the chopped salad originate?

The original chopped salad was created in the late 1950s by legendary restaurateur Jean Leon at his ritzy La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills . Celebrity sightings were commonplace at La Scala – Leon himself claimed to have personally served Marilyn Monroe her last meal (not a chopped salad).

Where did chopped salad come from?

Concocted by restaurateur Jean Leon in the 1950s , the off-menu dish is still one of La Scala's – and LA's – most popular salads today. Ahead of this Sunday's Oscars ceremony, we get a flavour of its beginnings, and also serve up some showstopping salad ware for your own celebrations.

What is the history of the chopped salad?

According to Gigi Leon, the daughter of Jean and the current owner of La Scala, the chopped salad was born at the restaurant in the early 1960s , when customers decided that its Gourmet Salad—a mixture of iceberg lettuce leaves, salami, mozzarella, and marinated chickpeas—was too messy to eat and began requesting that ...

Are chopped salads healthy?

Interestingly, chopping may actually increase the amount of beneficial compounds known as polyphenols : plant chemicals with antioxidant properties that may help protect against the development of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and neurodegenerative diseases.

Chicken and Bacon Autumn Chopped Salad Recipe (2024)

This Chicken and Bacon Autumn Chopped Salad Recipe is so easy to throw together and has the most amazing flavor. I am not a huge salad fan, but this is a recipe I could eat day after day, it is so yummy.

After a weekend of lots and lots of food, I was craving something a little bit lighter for dinner tonight, but with my husband being the “meat and potatoes” guy that he is, he doesn’t like the idea of having salad for a main course, so I added some chicken and crumbled bacon to make it more “manly”.

It was the perfect dinner for our family after all the food we devoured over the Thanksgiving holiday.

It felt nice to eat something that was a little on the lighter side of things. It was still extremely delicious and filling. It will definitely be making it’s rounds though the weekly menu plans at our home.

It was also perfect for lunch the next day. The dressing had soaked up into some of the chicken and veggies, and it was just as delicious, if not more.

This salad dressing combo is one of our favorites. It is so yummy and so simple to throw together. If you have never tried combining salad dressings, I recommend it. It adds a bunch of new and delicious flavor, you are sure to love.

what other cheese would be good on this salad?

I personally love the feta cheese on this salad, but I get it’s not for everyone. If you are looking to replace the feta cheese, I recommend trying goat cheese, blue cheese, or even parmesan cheese would be delicious on this one.

We made it with a sprinkle of grated mozzarella cheese, and that was also delicious.

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Looking for more healthy salads? Try a few of our favorites:

Chicken Fajita Salad
Red Potato Salad
Cucumber Dill Salad
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Steak Cobb Salad

Serves: 8

Chicken and Bacon Autumn Chopped Salad Recipe

Ingredients

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 medium apples chopped, (pears are also delicious if you want to use those)
1 cup dried cranberries Craisins
1 cup chopped walnuts (pecans or almonds are also a yummy substitution)
8 slices bacon crisp-cooked and crumbled, (we used turkey bacon- use what you want)
6 ounces feta cheese crumbled
2 grilled chicken breasts cooked and cubed
¾ cup poppy seed salad dressing (I like Brianna's)
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette (I used store brand because it tastes just the same to me)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, apples, cranberries, walnuts, bacon, chicken and feta cheese.
In a smaller bowl, combine poppy seed dressing with balsamic vinaigrette. Drizzle over salad right before serving. If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.
(This salad makes enough for about 6-8 servings. If you are not going to be eating it all in one sitting, only put dressing on what you will be eating or it will get all soggy.)

Notes

If you are looking to replace the feta cheese, I recommend trying goat cheese, blue cheese, or even parmesan cheese would be delicious on this one.

Nutrition

Calories: 484 kcal · Carbohydrates: 28 g · Protein: 23 g · Fat: 33 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Cholesterol: 56 mg · Sodium: 345 mg · Potassium: 492 mg · Fiber: 7 g · Sugar: 17 g · Vitamin A: 4223 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 296 mg · Iron: 3 mg

Equipment

Large Bowl
small bowl

Recipe Details

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Recipe adapted from Espresso and Cream.

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Have you heard about our newest cookbook, Copycat Cooking? We took over 100 of our favorite restaurant recipes and simplified them so that you can make them right at home!

Every recipe has a beautiful mouth-watering photo and has been picky-eater approved. The directions are simple, easy to follow, and do not require any strange ingredients.

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Watch how we make our Loaded Broccoli Salad below:

Join The Discussion

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She-She says:

Looks so yummy! Kinda funny, I've also found that my favorite dressing is one that I've mixed Balsamic with Vidalia Onion. Great combo!!
Rachelle @ "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" says:

How funny I also posted about this salad (minus the chicken) from Thanksgiving. I also used Brianna's dressing. =)
*Making the twice baked potato casserole tonight!
See Also
Weight Watchers Chickpea & Feta Salad Recipe | Simple Nourished Living
Jenna @ Newlyweds says:

Wow this looks amazingly good, I love every ingredient in this. Yum
Thanks for linking up to Newlyweds Recipe Linky, be sure to link back to Newlyweds so others can join in too.
Kaslynn says:

goat cheese crumbls are also excellent in this! Not as strg as feta, but jusas creamy an tart!
Danielle says:

I just made this tonight and it was amazing! Favorite new salad!!!
Rachel says:

Made this last night and it was delicious! I even had some left over today for lunch!
Brandy says:

What spices did you use on the chicken when grilling it? It looks fabulous

About The Author:

Camille Beckstrand

Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.

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