Chopped Salad Recipe

Hard-boil eggs

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover, remove from heat, and let stand 9 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel and quarter.

Cook bacon (if not pre-cooked)

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6–8 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Prepare vegetables and greens

Core and dice tomatoes into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Peel and finely dice the red onion (about 2–3 mm dice). Halve the avocado, remove pit, dice into 1/2-inch pieces and toss immediately with a light pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice (if available) to slow browning. Chop or tear salad greens into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.

Assemble chopped salad components

Add diced tomatoes, chopped bacon, diced red onion, avocado, and crumbled blue cheese to the bowl with the greens. Gently toss a few times to distribute ingredients evenly.

Add eggs

Nestle the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top of the tossed salad or gently fold them in so they remain in visible pieces.

Finish

Sprinkle chopped parsley over the salad if using. Taste a small portion to check seasoning and adjust salt/pepper after dressing is added.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and honey (if using) until combined.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies and becomes slightly thickened. Alternatively, secure the jar lid and shake vigorously for 20–30 seconds.

Season the dressing with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness: add another 1/2 teaspoon vinegar if too flat, or another 1/4 teaspoon honey if too sharp.

Just before serving, drizzle 3–4 tablespoons of dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Reserve any extra dressing for guests to add more as desired.