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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
Quick and easy to make. With only simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time, you can make this dish any time of the week! Full of flavor and texture. This light and refreshing salad is delicious, full of flavor, and has a crunchy texture that you’ll surely enjoy eating. Vegan and gluten-free. This Italian-inspired salad recipe uses only vegan and gluten-free ingredients that everyone can enjoy!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this vegan chopped salad recipe, you’ll need romaine lettuce, endive, chopped tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. To make champagne vinaigrette, you’ll need champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup (or honey), olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Notes and variations
Romaine lettuce. You can substitute romaine lettuce with other leafy greens like iceberg lettuce, spinach, kale, or arugula. Endive. You can use chicory, radicchio, and other bitter greens for a similar flavor. For a milder flavor, you can use baby spinach or arugula. Chopped tomatoes. For fresh tomato options, you can use cherry tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can also use sun-dried tomatoes. Fresh parsley. If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, you can also use fresh basil or cilantro. Add some spices. For a spicy salad, you can add red pepper flakes or pepperoncini peppers. Add other seasonal vegetables. Use other hearty vegetables of your preference like garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, and kalamata olives.
📖 How to make vegan chopped salad
Make the chopped salad
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped vegetables and fresh parsley. Step 2: Toss the salad until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Season the chopped salad with salt and black pepper to taste. You can serve the salad as-is, or you can use any dressing of your choice. I prefer this salad with a champagne vinaigrette!
Make the champagne vinaigrette
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup. Step 4: Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the mixture continuously until the vinaigrette is emulsified and well combined. Step 5: Season the vinaigrette with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Drizzle the champagne vinaigrette on the salad, and store any extra salad dressing in an airtight container for up to one week. Also check out this cilantro lime sauce, pesto salad dressing, Japanese sesame dressing, avocado ranch, and more sauces if you want to switch this up a bit.
👩🏽🍳 Top tips for the best vegan chopped salad
Make the best chopped salad by following these expert tips! ⭐ Prep your ingredients beforehand: Before you start, wash and dry all your vegetables. A salad spinner can be especially helpful for drying lettuce or leafy greens. Dry greens hold the dressing better.
Chop for texture: Chop veggies into uniform pieces to ensure each bite has a bit of everything. However, vary the texture slightly between ingredients (e.g., chop some veggies finely and others into bite-sized chunks) to keep the salad interesting. Use a mix of greens: For the base, mix different types of greens for variety in flavor and texture. Romaine, arugula, and baby spinach are great choices. They offer a mix of crunchy and soft, bitter, and mild. Incorporate colorful vegetables: Choose a variety of colorful vegetables like red bell peppers, carrots, purple cabbage, and cherry tomatoes. This not only makes the salad visually appealing but also ensures you’re getting a wide range of nutrients. Add protein: For a vegan salad, add sources of plant-based protein to make it more filling. Chickpeas, black beans, edamame, or quinoa are great choices. Add crunch: Top your salad with homemade croutons, nuts, or seeds for a satisfying crunch. Toasting them lightly can enhance their flavor.
🍴 How to serve vegan chopped salad
This vegan chopped salad is the perfect side salad for any main dish or entrée of your preference. Garnish with fresh herbs, croutons, toasted nuts, or seeds, and add the creamy dressing before serving! You can serve this salad with any main - my favorites are vegetable lasagna, stuffed acorn squash, stuffed spaghetti squash, vegan Wellington, or vegan Shepherd’s pie. You can also check out other main course recipes.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
To store chopped salad properly, make sure that you store any leftovers in an airtight container without the dressing. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. If you haven’t mixed your salad ingredients together yet, you can also separate the tomatoes to prevent them from giving excess moisture to the entire salad. To store the vinaigrette dressing, transfer it to an airtight container, like a mason jar, and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. I do not recommend freezing chopped salad, because freezing can significantly alter the texture and quality of the ingredients.
🍴 More salad recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other delicious vegan salad recipes:
📖 Recipe
