Servings: 10
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large head romaine lettuce
- 1 large bunch arugula
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, washed, stemmed, and cut into bite-size wedges
- 2 medium yellow bell peppers, washed, trimmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 medium avocados, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 3/4 cup minced red onion
- 2/3 cup olives, such as Cerignola or Kalamata, pitted and quartered
- 3 hard-cooked eggs
DRESSING
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Slice off the crunchy white from the bottom of the romaine; discard. Wash and dry the green part and roughly chop or break up into bite-size pieces.
Remove the tough stems from the arugula; discard; wash, dry, and roughly tear leaves into bite-size pieces.
Place all the ingredients but the eggs in a salad bowl.
Whisk the Dressing ingredients together and toss with the salad at least 15 minutes before serving so that the ingredients can absorb it. Sieve the eggs and sprinkle them over the salad.
TIPS
The main ingredient in a chopped salad is lettuce, but it can contain anything you want. The most important rule for this salad is that the ingredients are cut in pieces that are still recognizable but blend well with the other ingredients. It must have a dressing that is thick enough so that everything clings together. To make the salad a little more substantial you can add 1/2 cup crumbled feta, goat, or blue cheese.
Unlike most salads, which should be dressed at the last minute, this is one in which the dressing should be mixed with the ingredients 15 minutes before serving to blend the flavors.