Description
This vibrant Crunchy Chopped Salad combines the fresh flavors of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Little Gem lettuces, and peppery cress with the sweetness of pomegranate seeds and a tangy homemade lemon vinaigrette. Topped with crunchy sunflower and pumpkin seeds, it’s the perfect refreshing salad that’s quick to prepare and easy to customize with your favorite veggies.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 10 cherry tomatoes (use a mixture of different colours, if you like)
- ½ cucumber
- 2 Little Gem lettuces
- 1 punnet of cress
- 100g pomegranate seeds
- 25g mixed seeds (sunflower and pumpkin seeds)
Dressing
- 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: Cut the lemon in half and juice both halves using a citrus juicer. Pour the juice into a jam jar or small bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, and a good pinch each of salt and black pepper. Seal the jar and shake or whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
- Chop the tomatoes: Slice each cherry tomato in half using a small serrated knife, then cut each half into quarters. Place them into a large salad bowl.
- Cut the cucumber: Slice the cucumber lengthways in half, then each half into quarters lengthwise to make chunky sticks. Cut these sticks crosswise into small triangular pieces. Add to the salad bowl.
- Prepare the lettuces: Remove the hard stalks from the Little Gem lettuces. Cut each lettuce into four wedges, then thinly slice the wedges into small ribbons using the claw grip for safety. Add these to the bowl.
- Add the cress and seeds: Snip the cress directly into the bowl using kitchen scissors. Weigh and add the pomegranate seeds and mixed seeds to the salad.
- Toss the salad: Drizzle roughly half of the dressing over the salad and toss it gently to combine all ingredients and coat them evenly. Reserve the remaining dressing for later use.
Notes
- For extra crunch and flavor, toast the mixed seeds in a dry frying pan over low-medium heat until they pop, shaking occasionally. Cool before adding to the salad.
- This salad is versatile and a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Feel free to add green beans, avocado, sweetcorn, or grated carrots for different flavor and texture variations.
- Using a damp tea towel or kitchen paper under your chopping board prevents slipping and improves safety when chopping.
- The dressing can be prepared in advance and stored covered in the fridge for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: International
Keywords: Crunchy chopped salad, lemon vinaigrette salad, healthy salad, pomegranate salad, easy salad recipe, vegetarian salad, fresh vegetable salad
