Chopped Salad Recipe (4 Holiday Themes)

5 from 1 vote

Elevate your holiday meals with our holiday-inspired chopped salad recipe. We crafted four festive-themed salads for Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, each featuring fun seasonal ingredients and dressings.

Total time will take 15 - 45 minutes depending on the add-ins you choose.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Holiday

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings (change as needed):

Author: Cheryl Avrich

US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

8 cups chopped lettuce, Note 1 about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm pieces
4 cups toppings/add-ins, Note 2
1/2 cup salad dressing, Note 3

US Measures - Metric

Instructions

PREPARE SALAD INGREDIENTS: Place chopped lettuce, well dried (to prevent wilting), in a large shallow serving bowl. Grill or roast vegetables if using (corn, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, Note 4. Chop or slice veggies you are using into small pieces. Roast nuts if desired, Note 5.
MAKE SALAD DRESSING: See recipes, Note 6, or make your own. Shake all ingredients in an airtight container or jar until well combined. You will need about 1/2 cup/120 ml of dressing.
ASSEMBLE: Add toppings and add-ins to the chopped lettuce. Drizzle on dressing and mix to combine (or mix at the table to show off the seasonal colors and add-ins first!).

Notes

Lettuce: Use what type you prefer for the base of the salad. I like using at least one crunchy lettuce like romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce to add lots of texture. Other options are spring mix, arugula, spinach, kale.
Add-ins (use more or less as you like):
- Labor Day: Grill or roast 2 cobs of corn, 2 red peppers, 1 medium eggplant (or 2 Japanese eggplants), 1 red onion. Plus 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and cubed, and 1 cup/150 grams cherry tomatoes cut in half.
- Halloween: 2 small roasted beets cut into slivers, 1 cup chopped orange bell peppers, 1/2 cup/100 grams matchstick carrots, 1/4 cup/45 grams pitted kalamata olives cut in thirds, 1 large sweet potato (or 2 small) diced, 1/4 cup pepita pumpkin seeds.
- Thanksgiving: 1 large sweet potato (or 2 small) diced, 1/2 cup/65 grams dried cranberries, 1/4 cup/75 grams or more crumbled goat cheese, 2 chopped green onions.
- Christmas: 1/2 cup/50 grams pomegranate seeds (arils), 1/2 cup/120 grams ricotta cheese, 4 mini Persian cucumbers (not peeled) diced small, 1/2 cup/54 grams or more candied pecans or cashews roughly chopped.
Dressings
- Labor Day: maple balsamic dressing (good balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil)
- Halloween: apple cider vinegar dressing from Love and Lemons (apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, garlic, salt and black pepper, honey or maple syrup)
- Thanksgiving: walnut dressing (this one is amazing!) - walnuts, olive oil, lemon zest, maple syrup or honey, salt and pepper.
- Christmas: honey lemon dressing (fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon, salt and pepper. vegetable oil)
Variations
- More fruit and veggie toppings to consider: roasted chickpeas, red onion, red cabbage, black beans, shredded cheddar cheese, mandarin orange sections, sun-dried tomatoes, edamame, fresh herbs. Roasted or grilled sweet potato, butternut squash and pumpkin are all interchangeable.
- Nuts and other toppings: pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, almonds, candied nuts, chickpeas, croutons, raisins.
- Protein add-ins (for a more substantial salad or a stand alone meal): grilled shrimp, chicken cubes, blackened salmon, grilled flank steak, spicy sausage cubes, pan-seared tofu, baked ham cubes, smoked salmon, glazed tofu, roasted strips of lamb or pork.
How to grill or roast the vegetables:
- To grill: (Sweet potatoes or squash should be roasted, not grilled. Alternatively, partly microwave first, then grill). Heat grill to medium-high heat and oil grates. Toss pieces of veggies and husked corn with a little bit of oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Place on the grill over direct heat. Grill for a few minutes per side until slightly charred and tender. Turn corn on its end once cooked, then slice off kernels with a sharp knife. Chop grilled veggies.
- To roast: Heat oven to 425F/218C. Dice veggies into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces but leave corn whole. Toss with a little olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in lined pan, sprayed with oil, for 20-30 minutes. Slice kernels off cob when roasted.
How to toast nuts: Place nuts on a pan in a 350F/177C heated oven. Toast for 5-8 minutes until fragrant, shaking once in between.
Shortcuts:
- Use a good store-bought dressing.
- Buy convenience ingredients: roasted nuts, roasted beets, matchstick carrots, pomegranate arils, pitted olives, pre-cut squash or sweet potato.
- Microwave a sweet potato instead of roasting it (slightly undercook it), slice and finish on the grill. Then dice.
- Use frozen corn niblets instead of grilling whole corn (cook in microwave).
Make ahead: All the components can be prepared a day or two ahead of time and kept in the fridge separately or at room temperature (eg. nuts). Add the toppings to the lettuce up to an hour before serving and the dressing just before serving to prevent wilting.

Nutrition values are LOOSELY estimated and will depend on the add-ins and dressing you use. Calculations for one portion are based on 2 cups romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup mixed vegetables and 2 tablespoons Italian dressing. Toppings like candied nuts, dried fruit and shredded cheese will increase the values.