Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Serves 4 - 6
Loaded with a garden's worth of vegetables — bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, greens — and dressed with a bright lemon-oregano vinaigrette, this salad is a hearty meal-in-a-bowl. The addition of chickpeas gives it protein and fiber for more energy throughout the day, and a big dose of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin that helps build and maintain new cells.
Lemon-Oregano Vinaigrette
Grated zest of 3 lemons
Juice of 4 lemons
1/3 cup (1 oz / 30 g) dried oregano
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 heaping tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (4 fl oz / 125 ml) olive oil
4 cups (4 oz / 125 g) loosely packed baby arugula
6 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1 red onion, diced
1/2 lb (250 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
To make the vinaigrette, combine the lemon zest and juice, oregano, mustard, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a jar, cover tightly, and shake vigorously until emulsified. Alternatively, whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside. (The dressing can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.)
Place the arugula in a large serving bowl. In a second large bowl, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, onion, and mozzarella and toss gently to mix. Pour about 3/4 cup (6 fl oz / 180 ml) of the vinaigrette over the vegetable mixture and toss gently again to coat thoroughly. Taste and add a little more vinaigrette, if needed.
Add the vegetable mixture to the serving bowl with the arugula, toss gently to combine, and serve.
