the chop salad

I love salad, and I’m not afraid to admit it. Salad doesn’t have to be a thing you eat just because you think you’re supposed to. With the right components (an interesting leaf, a killer dressing, and toppings galore), the world of salad has endless possibilities. It can be a dish that you look forward to coming around the table at dinner time, or it could even take centre stage for your whole meal.

A few tips from this salad that I love to apply to all salads: homemade dressing is so worth the time, and use herbs as a fresh topping! In this case, I am making a dressing with the blender which is a bit more time consuming, but when I always find it helpful to have a jar of homemade vinaigrette on hand throughout the week. Here’s what I do: in a mason jar, add an acid (red wine or balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice), Dijon mustard, honey or sugar, salt & pep, and extra virgin olive oil. Shake it all up, and voila, you’ve got yourself a homemade dressing on hand for the nightly salad or your packed lunches. As for tip number two, fresh herbs (basil, mint, parsley, dill, cilantro) just make a salad so much more flavourful and interesting. Trust me, and try it out.

Personally, I use this salad as my go-to packed lunch for school, which my friends can most certainly attest to. I highly recommend using kale for your packed lunches because it’s very sturdy and can hold up to the daily trials and tribulations of leaving the fridge, commute time, and of course those times you forget your lunch in the fridge and hope it’s still fresh for use the next day.

Feel free to use this recipe as a base and get creative with your own chop salads. Salad doesn’t need to suck, it just needs a bit of care to take it to the next level. Get creative, and get cooking!

The chop salad

Hands-on time minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For chickpeas

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and dried

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

For salad

Large handful of purple kale

1/2 cup cheery tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1 tbsp. feta, crumbled

1 tbsp. fresh mint, roughly chopped

For dressing

1 tbsp. Greek yogurt (0-2% M.F)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

7-8 fresh mint leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. In medium-sized bowl, combine curry powder, cumin, Garam masala, and salt. Add chickpeas to bowl along with olive oil, and combine well so that each chickpea is coated
3. Spread chickpeas out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes total. Check the chickpeas halfway through and give them a shake. For extra crunchy chickpeas, turn the oven off after cooking but leave the chickpeas in there with the door slightly ajar for at least 10 minutes while you do your other lunch prep or chores. This technique will yield extra crunch if you’ve got the time to wait!
4. Combine together all ingredients for dressing in a blender or using a hand blender. No need to chop anything before! Combine until smooth
5. In bowl (or plastic container for tomorrow’s lunch) combine kale, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Top with chickpeas (cooled), feta cheese, and plenty of fresh mint.
6. Add salad dressing just before eating and enjoy!