Chopped Salad Recipe

This easy chopped salad is loaded with crisp vegetables, protein-packed chickpeas, and creamy feta, all tossed in a tangy homemade vinaigrette. Ready in 15 minutes and works just as well as a standalone meal as it does a side dish. Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Jump to Recipe

This chopped salad recipe is the kind of meal that makes you wonder why you'd ever paid for a restaurant salad. It's loaded with crisp vegetables, creamy feta, and protein-packed chickpeas, all tossed in a tangy homemade vinaigrette that takes less than a minute to make. For me, this isn't a side salad. It's a gluten-free, vegetarian dish that's genuinely satisfying and fills me up everytime.

The best part? You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, swap the greens, change the cheese. It comes together in about 15 minutes, serves six, and it's the kind of meal you'll make every time you realize your vegetable drawer needs to be cleared out.

What Is a Chopped Salad?

A chopped salad is exactly what it sounds like: every ingredient is chopped into small, uniform, bite-sized pieces before it hits the bowl. That one extra step changes everything. Instead of digging around for a tomato or hunting for another bite of feta, every bite has a little bit of everything in it.

It's different from a tossed salad because the ingredient size is intentional. When everything is roughly the same size, the dressing coats every piece evenly, and the flavors come together the way they're supposed to.

Why This Chopped Salad Is Actually a Meal

Most salads get served alongside something more filling, but this one works as a standalone meal if you want. The chickpeas add more than enough protein to make it filling, and between the vegetables, the feta, and a homemade vinaigrette (that actually has flavor), you end up with a salad that satisfies. It works as a weeknight dinner or a meal prep lunch.

Ingredients

You need to make two components for this recipe: the salad and the dressing. I used the vegetables listed below, but honestly, this is the recipe you can make when your vegetable drawer needs to be cleared out. Use what you have on hand.

For the Salad

• Baby spring mix - or any tender green you have on hand. Romaine, iceberg, or a mix all work.
• Canned chickpeas - rinse and drain them well before adding.
• English cucumber - no need to peel it.
• Grape tomatoes - halved so they're bite-sized.
• Red bell pepper - diced small.
• Celery - adds crunch and bulk.
• Red onion - diced. If raw onion is too sharp for you, soak the diced pieces in cold water for 10 minutes first.
• Carrots - diced small to match the rest.
• Feta cheese - crumbled, not pre-shredded. It makes a difference.
• Parmesan - freshly grated, for garnish.

For the Dressing

• Extra virgin olive oil - use a good one. It's the base.
• Red wine vinegar - the backbone of the dressing.
• Dijon mustard - don't skip it. It emulsifies the dressing and adds depth.
• Garlic - freshly minced, not jarred if you can help it.
• Dried Italian seasoning - ties the flavors together.
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper - season to taste.

Tips for the Best Chopped Salad

How to Chop the Vegetables

• Chop everything into even bite-sizedpieces. This is the most important step. When everything is uniform and roughly half an inch, the dressing coats every piece evenly, and every bite has a little of everything in it.
• Dry your greens before adding them. Wet lettuce dilutes the dressing. If you've rinsed your spring mix, spin it dry or pat it down with a paper towel first.

How to Make the Dressing

• Shake the vinaigrette, don't whisk it. The mason jar method works because the sealed jar lets you shake hard enough to fully emulsify the oil and vinegar. A quick stir won't do the same thing, and it will end up lumpy.
• Don't skip the Dijon in the dressing. It isn't just added in for flavor. Dijon acts as an emulsifier, which is what keeps the oil and vinegar from separating into two sad puddles at the bottom of the jar. It makes the dressing cohesive.

How to Keep the Salad from Getting Soggy

• Dress it right before serving. Toss the salad when you're ready to eat. If you're making this ahead or storing leftovers, keep the vinaigrette separate and add it at the last minute. For meal prepping, you can divide both your salad and your dressing into a few small containers. Pour the vinaigrette on top and mix right before eating.

How to Store Chopped Salad

Store the salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the fridge. The undressed salad will keep for 3 to 4 days.

Once dressed, the greens will start to wilt within a day or two, so only dress what you're going to eat.

If you're meal prepping, chop everything ahead and store the components together without the dressing. When you're ready to eat, shake the dressing, pour, and toss.

What to Serve with Chopped Salad

This salad includes a full can a chickpeas so it works as a standalone meal, but it's also a great side when you have something coming off the grill or out of the oven. A few combinations that work really well:

• Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs — the smoky, sticky glaze is a great contrast to the tangy vinaigrette
• Greek Chicken Marinade — lemon, garlic, and herbs pair naturally with the feta and red wine vinegar vinaigrette
• Beef Kabobs — serve the salad alongside for a full backyard dinner
• One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta — a hearty pairing when you want something more filling on the table

For a lunch or light summer dinner, serve with garlic bread and fresh raspberry lemonade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get the BEST Recipes on Pinterest

Follow Us

Chopped Salad Recipe

This easy chopped salad is loaded with crisp vegetables, protein-packed chickpeas, and creamy feta, all tossed in a tangy homemade vinaigrette. Ready in 15 minutes and works just as well as a standalone meal as it does a side dish. Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Did you try this recipe?Let our readers know how it turned out by Leaving a Review!

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 283 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Salad

• 6 cups baby spring mix
• 1 can (15.5 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup English cucumber (diced (no need to peel))
• 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
• 1 cup red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 cup celery (diced)
• 1 cup red onion (diced)
• 1 cup carrots (diced)
• ⅔ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

For the Dressing

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons garlic (freshly minced)
• 1½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

 

• Dice all vegetables into small, uniform pieces roughly half an inch in size. Halve the grape tomatoes.
• Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a mason jar. Seal and shake vigorously for 30 to 45 seconds until fully emulsified.
• Add the spring mix, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, celery, red onion, carrots, and crumbled feta to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until every piece is evenly coated.
• Top with freshly grated parmesan and serve immediately.

Notes

• For best results, dress the salad right before serving. If storing leftovers, keep the dressing separate and add it when you're ready to eat.
• Swap the spring mix for romaine or iceberg if that's what you have. Heartier greens hold up better if you're prepping ahead.
• The dressing keeps in the sealed mason jar in the fridge for up to a week. Make a double batch and use it on anything.
• This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free as written.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 1059mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 7817IU | Vitamin C: 74mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 2mg

HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?Follow me on Pinterest @bestblogrecipes