New York Style Chopped Salad Food

CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• In a colander or strainer, salt the cabbage with at least a tablespoonful and toss. In another colander, combine the carrots, onion, cucumbers and turnip, kohlrabi or beet (the beet will bleed, so you may want to do that separately), and salt with at least a tablespoonful and toss.
• As the cabbage wilts, squeeze out a little excess liquid. Toss the other vegetables from time to time. They can stay in the salt for up to an hour or as little as 15 minutes, during which time you can prepare the other vegetables.
• Rinse the salted vegetables lightly and spin in a salad spinner for a few seconds to remove excess liquid. Toss with the unsalted vegetables and dress with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve. The salad will keep for a couple of days.

CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then halve the naked lemon and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Whisk in oil and season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Put the romaine into a large bowl, then top with tomatoes, bacon, cucumber, blue cheese and scallions. Drizzle in about two thirds of the dressing, then toss until well coated.
• Place sliced avocado and eggs on top of salad, and season lightly with salt and pepper (especially the avocado, which can take a lot of salt). Drizzle salad with remaining dressing, and serve.

CHOPPED SALAD WITH SEASONED TOFU STRIPS

Steps:

• Marinate the tofu: combine the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, ginger and sugar in a 2-quart bowl. Whisk in the sesame oil and combine well. Drain the tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Slice into 1/3-inch thick slabs and cut the slabs in half lengthwise to get strips approximately 1/3 inch thick by 3/4 inch wide. Blot each strip with paper towels. Add to the bowl with the marinade and gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to an hour, or for up to a day.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Lift the tofu out of the marinade and arrange the pieces on the parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to color and the marinade sets on the surface of the tofu. Remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with the salad. If desired, transfer to a platter. Garnish with the tofu strips and serve.

CHOPPED SALAD WITH JALAPEñO-RANCH DRESSING

Steps:

• Prepare the dressing: In a large measuring cup, whisk all the dressing ingredients together to combine. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. (Makes 1 ¼ cups. It will taste quite salty at this point, and that is intentional. You want it to hold up when tossed with a big pile of vegetables.)
• In a large shallow bowl or platter, toss the romaine with half of the following ingredients: corn, radishes, avocado, sliced scallions, Cotija and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup dressing and toss to coat. Season again with salt and pepper.
• Top with the remaining corn, radishes, avocado, scallions, Cotija and cilantro, scattering the garnishes on top or arranging them in stripes or piles. Sprinkle some crumbled tortilla chips on top, if using. Drizzle the salad with an additional 1/4 cup dressing, and serve immediately, serving any remaining dressing and additional tortilla chips alongside.

CRUNCHY CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• Before you get started take a look at our chopping and knife skills guide. If your chopping board doesn't have anti-slip grips, lay a dampened tea towel or sheet of kitchen paper on the work surface, then place the board on top to stop it from slipping.
• Holding the lemon with your hand in the bridge position, cut the lemon in half. Push one half onto a citrus juicer, twist and squeeze to release the juice. Repeat with the second lemon half. Pour the juice into a jam jar or small bowl along with the oil.
• Add the mustard, honey and a good pinch each of salt and black pepper. Seal the jar and shake to combine, or whisk the ingredients together. Will keep covered in the fridge for up to a week.
• Cut the tomatoes in half by pinching each one between your thumb and a finger and carefully slicing through the middle with a small serrated knife. Cut each piece in half again to make quarters, then tip the tomatoes into a large bowl.
• Wipe down the chopping board, then cut the cucumber in half lengthways. Put the two halves cut-side down on the board so they don't roll around, then cut in half again along the length, so you have four chunky sticks of cucumber. Cut across the cucumber now to make little triangles, keeping your free hand in the claw position with your fingers tucked away from the blade of the knife. Tip the cucumber into the bowl with the tomatoes.
• Cut the hard stalk off the lettuces, then cut each lettuce in half and in half again to get four wedges. Working with one lettuce wedge at a time, hold the wedge with your hand in the claw position and chop it into small ribbons - the smaller, the better for this salad. Repeat with the remaining wedges and tip the lettuce into the bowl.
• Snip the cress straight into the bowl using kitchen scissors. Weigh out the pomegranate seeds using the scales and add these to the bowl. Repeat with the mixed seeds. Drizzle over roughly half of the dressing over the salad (you will have some leftover) and toss everything together to coat.

EASY CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• For the cucumber and beetroot, mix the poppy seeds, lemon zest and juice, oil and sugar. Tip half into a bowl with the cucumber, the other half into a separate bowl with the beetroot, and mix each.
• Mix the carrot ingredients together, the corn ingredients together and the avocado ingredients together.
• Pile the different elements in strips across a large platter. Cover and chill for up to 2 hrs, or serve straight away.

CHOPPED SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS, FETA AND AVOCADO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the diced bread on a sheet pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well toasted. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, place the romaine pieces in a large mixing bowl, along with the chickpeas, cucumber, olives and scallions.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons olive oil with the vinegar, capers, shallots, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and whisk well. Pour enough dressing over the salad to moisten; toss well. Add the avocado, feta and herbs and toss gently, adding more dressing to taste. Top with the croutons and a generous sprinkle of herbs and serve.