Chopped Salad Recipe

Wash and dry greens

Rinse romaine, iceberg and spinach under cold water. Spin or pat dry thoroughly. Chop the romaine and iceberg into roughly 1/2-inch pieces and stack with spinach; finely chop or chiffonade if desired.

Prep vegetables

Halve the cherry tomatoes. Peel (if desired) and dice the cucumber into 1/4-inch pieces. Core, seed and dice the red bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces. Thinly slice the red onion into small half-moons. Peel and grate or julienne the carrot into thin matchsticks. Roughly chop the parsley.

Combine all chopped greens and prepared vegetables in a large mixing bowl and toss gently to distribute.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat dry with a towel. If you prefer warm chickpeas, sauté in 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until slightly crispy. Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden. Cube the avocado just before serving and toss with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning.

Crumble the feta and set aside. Reserve toppings separately until after dressing is applied so they remain distinct in the chopped salad texture.

Mince the garlic clove. In a small jar or bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Whisk vigorously or shake in a jar until emulsified.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt, pepper, or honey to balance acidity if needed.

Pour about half of the dressing over the chopped salad in the large bowl and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Add more dressing to taste — chopped salads should be lightly dressed so components remain distinct.

Top the dressed salad with the drained chickpeas, toasted sunflower seeds, crumbled feta and avocado cubes. Gently fold once or twice to distribute without mashing the avocado.

Serve immediately on individual plates or family-style. Leftover dressing can be refrigerated up to 5 days; store salad components separately to maintain texture.