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Restaurants›Altezza Rooftop Bar Chicago›Italian Chopped Recipe

Italian Chopped Recipe

Name: Altezza Rooftop Bar Chicagos Italian Chopped Recipe
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 cups Romaine lettuce; 2 cups Baby spinach; 1 cup Radicchio or red leaf lettuce (optional, for color); 2 cups Cooked chicken breast, diced; 3 oz Italian salami, cut into 1/4-inch strips or small dice; 1 cup Gorgonzola (crumbled); 1 small Red onion, thinly sliced; 1 cup Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced; 1 cup Cucumber, peeled if desired, diced; 1 cup Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved; 1 cup Roasted red peppers, julienned (optional); 1 tbsp Fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade); 2 tbsp Toasted pine nuts or chopped toasted almonds; 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp Kosher salt; 6 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice; 1 clove Garlic, minced (about 1 clove); 1 tsp Dried oregano; 1 tsp Honey or sugar (optional, to balance acidity); 1 tsp Salt

Inspired by Altezza Rooftop Bar Chicago

Time25m

Serves4

Chicken, salami, gorgonzola, tomato, olives, red wine vinaigrette

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Ingredients

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Salad Base

4 cups Romaine lettuce

2 cups Baby spinach

1 cup Radicchio or red leaf lettuce (optional, for color)

Proteins & Cheese

2 cups Cooked chicken breast, diced

3 oz Italian salami, cut into 1/4-inch strips or small dice

1 cup Gorgonzola (crumbled)

1 small Red onion, thinly sliced

Vegetables & Extras

1 cup Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 cup Cucumber, peeled if desired, diced

1 cup Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved

1 cup Roasted red peppers, julienned (optional)

1 tbsp Fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

Crunch & Garnish

2 tbsp Toasted pine nuts or chopped toasted almonds

1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp Kosher salt

Red Wine Vinaigrette

6 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice

1 clove Garlic, minced (about 1 clove)

1 tsp Dried oregano

1 tsp Honey or sugar (optional, to balance acidity)

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Method

Prepare Salad Base & Produce

Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine, spinach and radicchio. Chop or chiffonade into bite-sized pieces; place in a large mixing bowl.

Slice the red onion thinly. If you want a milder onion flavor, place slices in cold water for 5–10 minutes then drain and pat dry.

Core, seed and dice the Roma tomatoes. Peel (optional) and dice the cucumber. Halve the pitted olives. Add the tomato, cucumber, olives and roasted red peppers to the bowl with the greens.

Add the sliced basil to the bowl.

Prepare Proteins & Cheese

Dice cooked chicken breast into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. If using leftover or roasted chicken, remove any excess skin and fat. Add to the bowl.

Cut the salami into 1/4-inch strips or small dice and add to the bowl.

Crumble the gorgonzola and add it to the bowl. Reserve a tablespoon for garnish if desired.

Add the thinly sliced red onion to the bowl with the other protein and cheese ingredients.

Make Red Wine Vinaigrette

Whisk Dressing

In a small bowl or jar, combine the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano and honey (if using). Whisk until combined.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly (or shake vigorously in a lidded jar) until the dressing emulsifies. Season with 1 tsp salt and adjust with additional salt or black pepper to taste.

Toast Nuts (if using)

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts or chopped almonds, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Assemble Salad

Give the salad components a gentle toss to distribute ingredients evenly.

Pour about 3–4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Taste and add more dressing as desired (the recipe yields about 6 tbsp dressing; reserve any extra in the refrigerator for up to 3 days).

Season the assembled salad with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, tossing gently to combine.

Sprinkle the toasted nuts and reserved gorgonzola over the top just before serving.