Spicy Italian Chopped Salad

An Italian chopped salad is hands down my favorite salad. I wanted to create a vegan version that still had all the makings of the classics: tangy, creamy, and crunchy.

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The combo of vinegar and parmesan or pecorino cheese with the romaine is the classic flavor of an Italian chopped salad. With this version, I omit the cheese and opt to add vegan ricotta to the dressing. This adds richness and creaminess while keeping the recipe vegan. The dressing was inspired by Nancy Silverton’s Chopped Salad, namely the amount of oregano in the dressing. It adds a punch of flavor and is really addictive.

The ratio of toppings to salad in this recipe is high, which is the way I prefer it. It keeps each bite interesting and ensures there’s lots of texture in the mix.

When building a great salad, it’s important to properly clean your vegetables and store them correctly. To wash your produce, begin by rinsing with water. Then, submerge them in a bath of cold water and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Remove after 20 minutes and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Once dry, wrap up in the kitchen towel, or place in a bowl, to store.

Now, let’s make the salad. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the salad

1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

For the dressing

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

Juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons vegan ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chili flakes (start at 1/2 a teaspoon if you’re hesitant about spice)

2 cloves garlic, grated

Big pinch of salt

Optional Add Ins:

Try adding thinly sliced red onion, pistachios instead of pine nuts, or pepperoncinis for additional spice!

Method:

Begin by washing your produce. I rinse my greens in water, then submerge them in a bath, with the tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. After soaking for about 20 minutes, remove and lay on a clean kitchen towel to dry.

Chop your lettuce and half your cherry tomatoes and set aside.

Add a dry sauté pan to medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. They can easily burn so keep an eye on them.

Make the dressing: grate the garlic into a bowl using a microplane. If you don’t have a microplane, finely chop the garlic. Whisk together the red wine vinegar, oregano, chili flakes, salt, lemon, and garlic. Slowly add in the oil and whisk into the mixture. Finally, mix in the ricotta.