Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Try packing this salad into a Mason jar, and take your salad to go. Add dressing immediately before eating.

TIPS

Use a mixture of red and yellow cherry tomatoes for added interest. Prepare with canned red or white kidney beans instead of the chickpeas if desired.

Substitute fresh basil for the parsley, or skip the fresh herbs and make dressing using 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto. Dressing can be made with fresh lemon juice instead of the red wine vinegar, or with a combination of both ingredients.

Ingredients

• 6 cups packed chopped romaine lettuce hearts
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup pitted quartered Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon each finely chopped fresh parsley and chives
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 hard-boiled large eggs, cooled to room temperature, peeled and quartered

Instructions

1. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas and olives in large bowl. Top with feta cheese.
2. Whisk together vinegar, parsley, chives and mustard in small bowl. Add olive oil slowly, whisking until combined.
3. Toss salad lightly with dressing and DIVIDE evenly among 4 dinner plates. Top with eggs.

Prep: 20 min - Yield: 4 servings

Easy 12-Minute Method for Hard-Boiled Eggs: Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add enough cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. Remove from heat. Cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water for 12 minutes for large eggs. Drain. Cool completely under cold running water or shock eggs in a bowl of ice water.

You can refrigerate unpeeled eggs for several days if not using immediately. Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling.

Recipe and photo used with permission from: American Egg Board