Marinated Chopped Salad is loaded with all of our favorite vegetables and tossed in a tangy vinaigrette dressing. It is perfect for a summer picnic or packed for lunch at the office! It’s fresh, colorful and crunchy!
Paired with an easy marinade, this chopped salad is a great alternative to a simple tossed salad or classic chef salad and perfect at any potluck!
What is a Chopped Salad?
A chopped salad recipe is exactly what it sounds like; a salad made with crisp veggies at the peak of freshness chopped and tossed with dressing.
This salad is a colorful healthy blend of your favorite veggies mixed with a bright, tangy vinaigrette dressing that is sure to please even the pickiest of veggie eaters!
In this recipe I skip the lettuce but many chopped salads include lettuce as well!
What Goes in a Chopped Salad?
You can mix and match a lot of the ingredients, but the basics are in this recipe! Don’t forget to toss with a chopped salad dressing that blends and complements ALL the flavors of the veggies!
Veggies:
- Juicy – tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini
- Crunchy – carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers, cabbage (Red or green, note that red can discolor the other ingredients if left overnight).
- Colorful – I choose all of the colors of the rainbow in this delicious salad.
You can absolutely substitute any of the vegetables in this recipe with your favorites, or whatever you happen to have on hand. Sliced zucchini, onions, mushrooms… the possibilities are endless! Try adding romaine lettuce or even adding in your favorite cheese, like feta or goat cheese!
How to Make a Chopped Salad
It’s all about the chop! This salad may be made up of a few simple ingredients, but it does require a bit of prep. To make this easier, I like to use my favorite chopper. It chops all the veggies perfectly and saves tons of time! After this salad, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without using a chopper!
- Dressing: Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside in the fridge.
- Chop: Chop the veggies and herbs and place in a large bowl.
- Mix: Add the chilled dressing and toss everything well.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or make this the night before! This will allow the veggies plenty of time to marinate and soak up some of the tangy dressing. Since both the salad and dressing can stay in the fridge for days, it’s perfect for meal prepping your lunches.
More Easy Salads
- Chickpea Salad – colorful, bright and delicious (reader favorite)!
- Easy Taco Salad – make in a baked taco bowl!
- Favorite Spaghetti Salad – simple and easy
- Black Bean Quinoa Salad – 30 min meal!
- Pickled Tuna Macaroni Salad – classic comfort food
Marinated Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup sliced carrot
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 ½ cups diced cucumber
- 1 cup chopped green cabbage red cabbage*
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower
- 1 cup chopped zucchini
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Dressing
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all dressing ingredients in small bowl or jar. Whisk (or shake) to combine.
- Chop all ingredients and place in a large bowl. Toss with dressing and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving stirring occasionally.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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I made this and found it is better after one day in fridge. Flavors come together and veggies don’t seem so raw. It is a fairly easy unexpected salad with lots of color to serve. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Cynthia!
Awesome! I substituted Good Seasons Italian (8oz mix according to directions) and a 15 oz can of garbanzo bean (washed and dried). We all loved it and had a healthy meatless night!
So glad you loved this recipe as much as we do!
I added more vinegar and Dijon to the dressing mixture than what it called for so it had more flavor. I also added crumbled feta right before I served the salad.
Mmmm, delicious additions. Thanks for sharing!