My Go-To Chopped Salad

I learned this basic Technique from Adelle Davis in Let's Cook It Right. She recommended that we quickly toss our salad in oil to stop oxidation and loss of nutrients. It doesn't take much if you are watching calories; you just toss it a few more times to make sure it all gets coated. then you add your vinegar or lemon juice and seasonings and toss again. You basically are making your dressing right in the bowl while minimizing vitamin content loss. Pretty clever! I have done my salads this way since the 1970's. I have settled on olive or other good oil plus red wine vinegar and garlic salt to taste. That combination makes me happy. As for you, the sky's the limit! Experiment. No two salads need to be the same. Mine never are.

These days, I love a good chopped salad that has everything BUT lettuce or other greens. That way, leftovers don't get limp and soggy. You can always add greens right before serving if you want them. Here's what I do.

Chopped "Kitchen Sink" Salad

Chop up a selection of low carb vegetables. Add oil early on and toss periodically if you want to maximize nutrient protection. Here is a list of possibilities to get you started.

celery
a small amount of carrot
cucumber
fennel
jicama
mushrooms
peppers, green or colored (red peppers have twice the vitamin C of green peppers)
radishes
kohlrabi
sweet onion
tomato
snow peas
cauliflower
broccoli stalks or florets
cabbage
bok choy

For a what I call a hearty salad, a complete meal in a bowl, add some proteins in any combination

meats - ham, chicken, turkey, beef, tuna, crab, shrimp, leftover steak, etc.
cheeses - cheddar, Swiss, colby-jack, feta, etc.
chopped up hard boiled eggs

Toss with oil, then the acid of your choice as described above. I wonder how lime juice would do?

Make your salad more interesting by adding

olives
artichoke hearts
water chestnuts
a few nuts or seeds
crumbled bacon
herbs you like
a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

If you can afford the carbs, try adding a little chopped apple or pear to the mix. My husband loves it this way.

Season to taste with salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash or whatever you like. Toss gain thoroughly and enjoy.

I make this in big batches and happily eat this on two or three successive days. The veggies just get more marinated with time.