A minor miracle occurred at my house on Thursday night when my teenager went back for a third helping of salad. And not just any salad–a salad that contained radishes, which she “hates.”

We were having the salad with two of her favorites dishes, mac and cheese and roasted asparagus, and it was no surprise that she helped herself to repeat servings of the pasta, but I had to stifle a little cheer when she loaded up on the salad lest I draw her attention to the fact that she was doing something I approved of. Making a big deal out of it would have just ensured that she never ate salad again. “Never make a fuss over something positive” is first thing you learn in Teenager 101.

During dinner, a second miracle occurred. We agreed on a name for The Kitten. We went through all the suggestions we received both here and on Facebook, and we finally found one that seemed right:

Loki

Loki is a trickster and a shape shifter in Norse mythology, and our little Loki can shift from being a purring lap kitten one minute to a destroyer of house plants the next. Thank you to Kimberton and others who suggested the name and to my daughter’s 9th grade English teacher for introducing her to Norse mythology.

Now, back to the Miracle Salad.

It was really just a basic chopped salad, meaning all of the ingredients are chopped to about the same half-inch size. It doesn’t sound so miraculous, but each bite has multiple flavors and somehow the whole thing doesn’t need as much dressing as a regular salad.

I used a touch of my own homemade mayo to give it a little creaminess along with a fat-free balsamic vinaigrette for flavor. I think the big reason daughter E loved it was the addition of kalamata olives; just a few pieces deliver a lot of flavor, so include them if you can.

Print 5 from 5 votes Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box Simple Chopped Salad You can use any vegetable you like raw instead of these–broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, etc. would all be good. Just chop them all about the same size. You can prepare the veggies in advance, but keep the lettuce separate from any watery ones, such as tomatoes, and assemble the salad just before serving. Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1 minute Total Time 21 minutes Servings 4 Author Susan Voisin Ingredients 1 heart of romaine 1 heart of romaine

1 cup diced carrots 1 cup diced carrots

1 cup halved grape tomatoes 1 cup halved grape tomatoes

3/4 cup diced radishes 3/4 cup diced radishes

3/4 cup diced yellow or red bell peppers 3/4 cup diced yellow or red bell peppers

3/4 cup diced cucumber (about 1/2 large cucumber) 3/4 cup diced cucumber (about 1/2 large cucumber)

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives optional 2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives optional

2 tablespoons Balsamic-Raisin Vinaigrette (or other fat-free vinaigrette) or more or less to taste 2 tablespoons Balsamic-Raisin Vinaigrette (or other fat-free vinaigrette) or more or less to taste

1 tablespoon Tofu-Cashew Mayo (or other vegan mayo) 1 tablespoon Tofu-Cashew Mayo (or other vegan mayo)

freshly ground black pepper to taste freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts optional 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts optional Instructions Leaving the base attached, cut the romaine heart lengthwise three times; rotate it a quarter of a turn and make two or three more cuts. Then slice it from top to the base so that you have small, bite-sized pieces. Wash it in a strainer or salad spinner and then spin well to dry.

Place the romaine into a large bowl and add other vegetables, chickpeas, and olives. Add the vinaigrette and mayo to taste, being careful not to add too much, as well as a generous grating of black pepper, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve. Notes If omitting olives, deduct 12 calories and 1.2g fat; if omitting walnuts, deduct 12 calories and 1.22g fat per serving. Nutrition Facts Simple Chopped Salad Amount Per Serving Calories 127 Calories from Fat 11 % Daily Value* Fat 1.2g 2% Sodium 129.8mg 6% Carbohydrates 20.2g 7% Fiber 7.4g 31% Sugar 6.8g 8% Protein 5.5g 11% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Tried this recipe? Post a photo to Instagram and tag @susanffvk

Do you like chopped salads? What are your favorite ingredients? Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

Enjoy!

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