The Ultimate Chopped Salad

myglobalwordpress — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 13:44:03 +0000

Introducing The Ultimate Chopped Salad. A delicious jewel that will take your everyday lunch to the next level.

This Ultimate Chopped Salad became a staple in my diet when I moved part-time to Italy. I was trying to figure out a way to mix in a salad with my daily mealplan.

Don’t get me wrong, I love pasta and treats but too much of a good thing can be unhealthy. Most Italians don’t serve salad as a meal. It’s typically a side dish and served after the meal. In the U.S. we have plenty of salad-centric restaurants and a soup and salad or a sandwich and salad is considered a healthy and delicious meal. I don’t expect to find any salad bars around here! A U.S. supermarket will typically carry lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, and cucumbers but that’s not enough to sustain most of us as a primary meal. I decided to come up with something on my own.

For anyone who enjoys variety, I know that eating the exact same thing every day for lunch sounds awful. But women in the cast of the sitcom Friends did exactly this for a decade with one very special dish, which they nicknamed the “Jennifer Salad”. We ate the same food: a “Jennifer Salad,” Courtney Cox explained as their daily lunch ritual for 10 years. Jennifer Aniston may not be eating salads with her castmates anymore, but the American actress changed her beloved salad recipe just a little bit. She calls it “My perfect salad – Bulgur, cucumbers, parsley, red onion, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, & pistachios,” she wrote in the accompanying caption.

So, I decided to give Aniston’s salad a try. Why? For starters, Aniston’s salad is a balanced meal with just the right amounts of vegetables, carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Plus, knowing that it’s a balanced meal, I don’t have to worry about eating the same thing every day. I know I’m putting something good into my body. So with some minor modifications, I created The Ultimate Chopped Salad. I removed the pistachios since they cause me to break out and developed my own salad dressing since Aniston eats hers without it. Yes, you heard that right. Jennifer prefers her salad without dressing. I also add some fruit to mine as I find that something sweet in there goes really well; like cheese with jam.

I’ve also made this salad with different ingredients. Pretty much what I could find available here in Italy. Today I’m happy to report that this has become my daily salad as well. Because A, this salad is a balanced meal with just the right amounts of vegetables, carbs, proteins, and healthy fats. B, it’s kind of addictive. C, I can always find the ingredients here in Italy or at least substitute them and D, it’s a crowd-pleaser. Every one of my friends who have tried it loved it! Many are now making it on a daily basis. Like me, they don’t want to have pasta or a panini sandwich for lunch every day.

COOK’S NOTES: If there is an ingredient in this salad you’re not particularly fond of, simply leave it out, or replace it with something else. You could substitute the bulgur for the quinoa. It will taste just as good. I choose quinoa over bulgar since it has more protein, but it’s important to note that bulgur has half of the calories of quinoa. I prepare my quinoa or bulgur in advance and keep it in the fridge until it is completely cool before adding the other ingredients. This way, the quinoa or bulgur won’t warm up the salad.

Bring this salad to a potluck dinner, picnic, or barbecue. You’ll be the star of the party!

ENJOY!