Seafood Chopped Salad Recipe

Prepare greens and vegetables

Rinse romaine lettuce and dry thoroughly. Chop into roughly 1/2-inch pieces to create a chopped salad texture (about 6 cups). Finely shred the red cabbage. Peel, halve and seed the cucumber, then dice to yield about 1 cup. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Core and finely dice the red bell pepper. Thinly slice the fennel and roughly chop the parsley. Thinly slice the green onions on the bias.

Prepare seafood

If using cooked shrimp, pat dry and chop into bite-sized pieces (cut each medium shrimp into 2–3 pieces). Gently pick through the crab meat to remove shells and break into large flakes. If using smoked salmon, cut into 1/2–1 inch strips. Keep seafood chilled until assembly.

Prepare avocado and nuts

Halve and pit the avocado, dice into 1/2-inch pieces and toss immediately with a teaspoon of lemon juice (from the dressing amount) to slow browning. If pine nuts are not toasted, heat a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast them, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden (1–2 minutes). Let cool.

Make dressing

In a small bowl or jar add the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, chopped capers, salt and pepper. Whisk while slowly streaming in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies and becomes slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more lemon for brightness or a pinch more salt if needed.

In a large mixing bowl combine the chopped romaine, shredded red cabbage, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, sliced fennel, sliced green onions and chopped parsley. Add the diced avocado and toasted pine nuts.

Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat all ingredients evenly. Start with less dressing and add more if needed to avoid sogginess.

Gently fold in the prepared seafood (shrimp, crab, smoked salmon) so the delicate pieces remain intact and evenly distributed. Taste and add remaining dressing as desired.

Transfer to a serving platter or divide among plates. Finish with a light grind of black pepper and a few extra parsley leaves or a sprinkle of toasted nuts for garnish.