CHOPPED SALAD WITH ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
When I’ve got leftovers or small amounts of this or that to use up and I’m doing everything in my power not to waste food (or make that extra trip to the market), I generally turn to a few tried and true options: eggs and toast accompanied by some kind of sauce or veggie, a rice/grain bowl or a big chopped salad. I could probably eat these three meals on a continuous loop, because within each meal, there are enough variations to satisfy my craving for diverse flavors and textures.
The chopped salad may be my favorite “back pocket” meal for summer because the produce is so lovely at this time of year and the desire for something lighter is often the preference.
To make this salad feel a bit more substantial, just increase the ratio of protein and croutons to vegetables, or serve this as a companion to a simple soup if you’re not a salad-as-dinner type of person.
I love mustard in general, because of its bite and boldness. This dressing is one I’ve tweaked and tinkered with over the years to use on salads, as well as a dipping sauce for chicken, salmon or tofu. I find mustard and chicken to be a particularly great pairing, so this salad is an ideal option for that last bit of leftover rotisserie chicken.
If I have any advice on making this type of salad really sing, it’s to go bold: Use an assertive amount of bright-tasting herbs. Keep the the size of all the components chunky, so you get big crunchy bites. And use the dressing recipe as your starting point, tasting and adjusting with more mustard, lemon, vinegar or salt until you have something that really excites your taste buds.
In place of the cup each of cucumber, tomatoes and bell peppers, you can use any combination of vegetables you like or have on hand. For maximum crunch, try cucumber, radish, bell pepper, carrot, celery, sugar snap peas, quickly blanched green beans or broccoli. Good options at the lesscrunchy end of the vegetable spectrum include avocado, zucchini, tomatoes or corn.
This recipe generously serves two people. If this is more than you are likely to consume in one sitting, toss and dress the salad portion by portion, keeping the rest of the prepped ingredients chilled to enjoy later. The dressing portion of the recipe makes about ½ cup. Scale that up if you like a more generously dressed salad.
Chunky Chopped Salad with Rotisserie Chicken and Mustard Dressing