Good Kitchen Blog: The LA Chop

This is one of those times when the flavors, colors, and textures of summer come together in a huge, crunchy rainbow salad. And for one meal, life just feels right.

It’s healthy-ish but not too healthy, like all the best salads. We’ve got fresh tomatoes and lettuce and radicchio setting the stage, but salami and chickpeas and two types of cheese filling it out into something of a hungry person’s lunch dream, and super thin slices of red onion, pepperoncini, and a punchy lemon vinaigrette zipping it all together at the end.

It has a name: The LA Chop.

Hey, I’m not the LA expert here, but California queen Gaby is. This is a recipe from Gaby’s latest book (affiliate link) which is now owned by several people on our team and has already been heavily earmarked by me – especially the salad chapter.

What's Gaby Cooking Eat What You Want Cookbook.

Being that this is a chopped salad there is, well, there is quite a bit of chopping involved.

But just look at this pre-mixed salad masterpiece.

Once you’re done chopping…. you’re DONE done. With the entire recipe. No stoves, no ovens, no pans.

You toss your salad, grab a fizzy water, sit down, put feet up, and crunch to your heart’s delight.

Are you in LA right now? Because I’m in suburban Minnesota but I’m pretty sure I’m in LA right now.

This is the salad I could (will) eat all summer long.

You can find Gaby’s cookbook here! (affiliate link)

*This recipe has been republished from the cookbook with permission from author and publisher.

The LA Chop

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Print Recipe

Description

The LA Chop! The best crunchy rainbow salad salad with all the flavors, colors, and textures of summer. All tossed with a punchy lemon vinaigrette! From the What’s Gaby Cooking Eat What You Want cookbook.

Ingredients

Salad:

Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below) with 2 tablespoons dried oregano mixed in
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 head radicchio
1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint (300 g) heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 (15-ounce/430 g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
8 ounces (225 g) fresh pearl mozzarella
4 ounces (115 g) provolone cheese, cut into medium dice
4 ounces (115 g) Genoa salami, cut into small cubes
5 pepperoncini (stems discarded), cut into thin slices
2 teaspoons chopped oregano for garnish

Lemon Vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Video

Salad:

Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Cut the iceberg lettuce in half through the core. Remove and discard the outer leaves and discard the core. Separate the lettuce leaves, stack 2 or 3 leaves on top of one another, then cut them lengthwise into 1⁄4-inch-wide (6 mm) strips. Repeat with the remaining leaves. Thinly slice the radicchio in the same way.
In a large, wide bowl, combine the lettuce and radicchio, tomatoes, chickpeas, mozzarella, provolone, salami, and pepperoncini. Season with salt to taste and toss to thoroughly combine. Drizzle 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat the salad evenly. Taste and add more vinaigrette as needed, plus salt and pepper. Transfer the salad to a large platter, sprinkle with extra oregano, and serve.