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Italian Chopped Salad With Creamy Parmesan Dressing


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  • Author: Lick Your Plate Cookbook
  • Total Time: 30 minutes

Description

A fresh, packed-full of good stuff salad that hits the spot and completes any summer pool party!


Ingredients

Scale

Creamy Parmesan Herb Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch cayenne pepper

Candied Pecans

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2tbsp sugar
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1/4 kosher salt

Salad

  • 6 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
  • 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 coarsely chopped dates
  • 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

For the dressing

  1. In a food processor, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, basil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne. Pulse until pureed and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to dress salad.

For the candied pecans

  1. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add pecans and salt and continuously stir for 1-2 minutes, until coated and toasted. Remove from the heat and transfer ti a piece of parchment paper to cool-nuts will harden as they cool. Once cool, chop coarsely and set aside.

For the salad

  1. In a large bowl, combine iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, chickpeas, celery, carrots, red peppers, Parmesan cheese, dates, sunflower seeds and parsley. Toss with dressing, top with candied pecans and serve immediately.

Notes

  • We used candied pistachios instead of pecans and omitted the cauliflower (simply because of availability!) – there’s some wiggle room with this delicious recipe and we love it!
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Cook Time: 5

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6