Chopped Salad Recipe

Prep Hard-boiled Eggs

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit 9 minutes. Drain and transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Peel and chop into roughly 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook Bacon

While eggs cook, lay bacon slices in a cold skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp, turning as needed (about 8–10 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Prepare Vegetables and Greens

Core and chop tomatoes into ~1/2-inch pieces (you should have ~2 cups). Thinly slice and then chop the red onion so pieces are small and evenly distributed. Dice the avocado into 1/2-inch cubes and toss with a light squeeze of lemon juice (if using) to slow browning. Roughly chop the romaine or mixed greens so they are bite-sized (about 4 cups). Chop parsley if using.

Assemble Salad

In a large bowl, combine chopped greens, tomatoes, red onion, chopped eggs, chopped bacon, and diced avocado. Crumble the blue cheese over the top and lightly toss everything together just to distribute ingredients evenly. Reserve some blue cheese to sprinkle on top if desired.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, honey, minced garlic, lemon juice (if using), salt, and pepper until smooth.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil in a steady stream until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt, pepper, or honey as needed.

If using a jar, close and shake vigorously for 20–30 seconds until combined.

Dress the salad just before serving: pour 3–4 tablespoons of dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing to taste (reserve extra dressing separately for guests who want more).

Transfer to a serving platter or divide among plates. Sprinkle remaining crumbled blue cheese and chopped parsley over the top. Serve immediately.