Chopped salad is a salad where ingredients like vegetables, fruits, meats, and nuts are chopped into cube shapes and tossed with dressing. It became hugely popular in the US, particularly major cities like New York and LA first, before its popularity spread to Japan, where chopped salad specialty stores have started opening as well today.
Chopped salads have attracted attention for two main reasons. On one hand, their colorful array of ingredients caters to the recent health consciousness trend, and they are an easy-to-eat nutritious meal during busy lunch hours since everything is already cut into small pieces. On the other hand, specialty restaurants offering vibrant, colorful chopped salads have been increasing in number because these salads are popular as photogenic food on social media. Nonetheless, chopped salads certainly provide a convenient way to get a variety of nutrients in a single dish, while also making for an enticing photo opportunity.
When you make chopped salad at home, taste and texture combinations offer no limits. The ingredients ranging from tender sweet potatoes to crunchy and refreshing cucumbers, along with protein sources, are all up to you. Choose whatever ingredients you like and find your own favorite. We didn’t incorporate nuts and fruits, but include those if you prefer. Chopped salad is healthy and satisfying dish and great for lunch or dinner. Hope you give it a try!
Chopped Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 Satsumaimo sweet potato
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 broccoli, small
- 1/2 carrot, small
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 1/4 red onion
- 1 cucumber
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Edamame, cooked and shelled
- 1 cup Black Tea Pork
Dressing
- 1 Tbsp miso paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 tsp garlic, grated
Instructions
- Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1/2" (12 mm) cubes. Coat them with oil and roast for 25 minutes at 400°F in the oven. Cool and set aside.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets and cook in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, cool, and chop into small pieces.
- Slice the carrot very thinly and cut into thin matchsticks. Cut the lettuce into 1/2" (12 mm) squares. Dice the red onion into 1/4" (6 mm) cubes. Cut the cucumber into 1/2" cubes. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Cube the pork into 1/2" pieces.
- Whisk all the ingredients together well for the dressing.
- Put all the prepared vegetables, pork, and edamame in a large bowl. Toss them with the dressing.
