Chopped Salad

Tidying Up is one of the most popular series on Netflix right now so I can't possibly be the only person who's binge watched the show and jumped on the Marie Kondo bandwagon.  (You should see my ultra organized sock drawer. 😂)  For the few people who haven't seen the show - in a nutshell, Marie Kondo is a tiny Japanese tidying expert who helps people clean out clutter to find joy in their lives.  

In case you're wondering, I did NOT evoke Marie's method of piling every single item of clothing that I own on my bed and then systematically touching them one by one to discover which ones bring me "joy".  I DID however, embrace some of her other tidying ideas.  Watching Marie fold clothes with the precision of a surgeon is inspiring.  I'm still not sure how she manages to involve her young children in the folding process and accept their imperfectly pleated t shirts without refolding them when they're not looking.  I'm not nearly as particular as Marie Kondo is about folding but I'm too type A to put away crinkled clothes.  

I don't feel like Marie's methods of organizing are really anything new or radical.  She groups objects of similar function and size together into small, sleek containers.  Sounds like an easy enough task but training everyone else in the house to comply with the organization is a whole different level of adversity.  If I decide to change the location of the vegetable peeler, for example - I can expect at least 6 months of searching for misplaced a peeler in the kitchen.  It will be hidden in random drawers and cabinets by my well intentioned family members. 😅

My kitchen organization is probably not Marie Kondo approved but it works for me.  I have my most frequently used gadgets within arms reach and my grouping system works perfectly.  I could never do what Marie Kondo does, it would be impossible for me to organize anyone else's kitchen without observing them in the kitchen over a long period of time.  What equipment do they use the most?  Which knives do they need to have within an arms reach?  I believe that the best person to organize a kitchen is the person who USES the kitchen. 

I love a great chopped salad but I don't make a whole lot of them at home because they always seemed too labor intensive.  The key to a great chopped salad is getting everything cut into similar sized pieces and that takes a considerable amount of precision and time.  (Very Marie Kondo like.)  This simplified chopped salad, compliments of America's Test Kitchen, is easy to put together and it compliments just about any meal.  

Chopped Salad
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 Romaine lettuce hearts, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 ounces feta, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

​Whisk oil, vinegar, shallot, 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper.  

Add tomatoes and cucumber and toss gently.  Let sit 10 minutes. 

Add lettuce, feta, basil, 1/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper to tomato mixture.  

Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Surprise - I'm adding a bonus recipe to the blog today.  It's a slightly different version of the chopped salad that's listed above.  I love this salad and all of the different ways that you can modify it.  

Southwest Chopped Salad
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons lime juice
1 shallot, minced
8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 Romaine lettuce hearts, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup corn 
1 avocado, cut into 1/2" pieces

Whisk together oil, lime juice, shallot, 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder.  

Add tomatoes and let sit for 10 minutes.  

Add beans, cheese, cilantro, corn, 1/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper.  

Add lettuce. 

Top with avocado. 

Two versions of one salad.  Just think of all the other ways that you could adapt this scrumptious chopped salad to suit your needs.  A Greek version? A tropical chopped salad? Or a chopped salad with crispy Chinese noodles?  It's time to get  choppin'.

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe