Hearty Chopped Winter Salad

There’s a type of evening meal I return to again and again: the kind that feels both nourishing and celebratory, perhaps paired with a glass of something good. But lately, I’ve been drawn to something altogether different. A salad substantial enough to be a winter dinner, but light enough to feel fresh.

This one is perfect. A straightforward vinaigrette in place of the heavy, anonymous dressing. Prosciutto crisped until shattering and sweet, standing in for bacon.

If you haven’t crisped prosciutto before, it’s worth the small effort. The thin slices need only a few minutes in a hot pan, emerging with an intensity of flavor and delicate texture that bacon, for all its incredible virtues, can’t match.

The salad itself has a ton of textures and tastes that transforms into something genuinely craveable. The recipe is big enough for several meals, intentionally so. When storing, keep the components separate and dress only what you’ll eat that day. The salad keeps its brightness this way.

By the way, feel free to chop as finely or as coarsely as you want. This is your salad, after all.

Hearty Chopped Winter Salad

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Author: Lauren Nolan
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-4 1x

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Description

This hearty chopped salad is loaded with crisped prosciutto, chickpeas, feta, chicken and even small, round pasta. Big enough for dinner, fresh enough for lunch.

Ingredients

Units

1 heart of romaine
1 medium-sized head of iceberg lettuce
3/4 medium-sized head of radicchio
1 can of chickpeas (rinsed under water)
10 slices of prosciutto (cooked in saute pan until crisp)
1 box of cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 small red onion
1/2 pound Ditalini pasta
1 block of feta (6 oz, crumbled up)
2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning

Instructions

Set a pot to boil and cook the pasta noodles until al dente. Rinse and run under cool water. Set aside.
Heat a pan with olive oil and pan fry the chicken breasts. I cooked one side for 10 minutes, flipped, and then cooked the other side for another 10. Set aside to cool.
While the chicken is cooking, chop your romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce and radicchio. Add to a bowl with chopped tomatoes.
Thinly slice or mince the red onion and add that to the bowl.
Add chickpeas, feta and ditalini pasta.
When the chicken as cooled, cut into chunks and add to the bowl.
Cut your prosciutto into bite sized pieces and add to a hot saute pan. Keep an eye on it as it cooks, moving the prosciutto around so none of it burns. Once the pieces are crisp, remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Whisk with a fork and pour over the salad.
Stir in the crispy prosciutto last, so they don’t get soggy.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Category: Side, Main Course, Salad
Method: Chopping, Pan Frying
Cuisine: Mediterranean