Best Spicy Chopped Salad Recipes

CHOPPED SALAD WITH SPICY BUTTERMILK DRESSING

Steps:

• Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, scallion whites and garlic; Combine chile powder, salt and pepper and add to mixture.
• Add romaine, tomatoes, corn, cheese, and scallion greens to the bowl (if you are adding meat, you would add it here).
• Toss to combine and serve immediately.
• Tip: To neatly cut up a head of romaine, halve it through the core, and make a few evenly spaced cuts lengthwise, leaving core intact. Chop crosswise into bite-size pieces.

CHOPPED SALAD WITH SPICY PORK AND BUTTERMILK DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, combine chile powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place pork on prepared baking sheet; rub with spice mixture.
• Broil pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 145 degrees, 14 to 16 minutes, turning twice during cooking. Let pork rest 10 minutes, then cut into bite-size chunks.
• Make dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, scallion whites, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
• Add romaine, tomatoes, corn, cheese, scallion greens, and pork to the bowl. Toss to combine, and serve immediately.

CHICKEN FINGERS WITH HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE AND SPICY CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
• Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Set out 3 shallow dishes: Mix the flour and dry mustard in one. Beat the eggs with a splash of water or milk in a second; and place the bread crumbs in the third dish. Coat the tenders in batches in the flour, then the eggs, and then the bread crumbs. Fry the tenders in small batches, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• While the chicken is frying, in a bowl mix together the mayonnaise, grainy mustard, and honey to taste.
• For the spicy chopped salad, combine the watercress, radishes, cucumbers, dill, and parsley in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter. Drizzle with the vinegar and EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
• Serve the chicken fingers with the honey mustard dipping sauce and spicy chopped salad.

CHINESE CHOPPED CHICKEN SALAD WITH "WOK"-FRIED SPICY PEANUTS

Steps:

• 1. Fill a medium pot with enough water to cover the chicken by 2 inches. Add the salt to the water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to just below a simmer. Place the chicken in the water, making sure the water does not boil so that the chicken stays tender. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F or is firm and white in the center (not pink), remove from the pot and set on a plate to cool. Then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• 2. In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, iceberg lettuce, carrot, and cilantro.
• 3. To prepare the "wok"-style peanuts, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the peanut oil, peanuts, sugar, and chile flakes. Stir occasionally until the peanuts have small char marks on them but are not burned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
• 4. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, orange juice, ponzu, soy sauce, and sesame oil until well combined. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing and serve.

CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD WITH SPICY SUNDRIED-TOMATO PESTO DRESSING

Steps:

• 1. Put chicken breast, lightly salted & peppered, into ZipLock Zip n' Steam bag, with a shake or two of olive oil and the chopped onion, shake bag to make sure the chicken and onions are well-coated in the olive oil. Microwave on high 3 minutes, pull out and set aside to cool. 2. Toss veggies and parsley together in mixing bowl and set aside. 3. In smaller mixing bowl whisk together dressing ingredients, adjusting to desired taste & consistency. 4. Cut the steamed chicken breast into 1/2" dice, and add (with the onions) to the veggies, and toss. 5. Fold in dressing until everything is evenly coated (I like to add it in thirds so that I don't overdress,) and then toss in the almonds and the grated Parmesan. 6. Enjoy! (I occasionally like to serve it on a bed of chopped romaine, but it's great plain too, if you're in a hurry.)

SPICY CHOPPED SALAD WITH TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine salad ingredients in a bowl, toss with tortilla chip pieces. In a second bowl, combine taco sauce, lime juice, cilantro or parsley. Whisk in olive oil in a slow stream until dressing is combined. Toss salad with dressing to combine and coat ingredients evenly, then serve.

TURKEY CHOPPED SALAD WITH SPICY AVOCADO DRESSING

Steps:

• Scoop avocado flesh into mini processor. Add lime juice, chili-garlic sauce, and olive oil and process until smooth. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper.
• Mix turkey, jicama, red onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 cup cilantro in large bowl. Add avocado dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide lettuce leaves among plates. Spoon salad into center and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cilantro.
• *Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

CHINESE CHOPPED CHICKEN SALAD WITH "WOK"-FRIED SPICY PEANUTS

Steps:

• Fill a medium pot with enough water to cover the chicken by 2 inches. Add the salt to the water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to just below a simmer. Place the chicken in the water, making sure the water does not boil so that the chicken stays tender. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F or is firm and white in the center (not pink), remove from the pot and set on a plate to cool. Then cut into 1/2-inch cubes. 2. In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, iceberg lettuce, carrot, and cilantro. 3. To prepare the "wok"-style peanuts, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the peanut oil, peanuts, sugar, and chile flakes. Stir occasionally until the peanuts have small char marks on them but are not burned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. 4. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, orange juice, ponzu, soy sauce, and sesame oil until well combined. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing and serve.

SPICY CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• Combine salad ingredients in a bowl and dress salad with vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, then season with salt and pepper, to your taste. In a small bowl, add 4 tablespoons pesto and a splash of red wine vinegar. Slowly pour in extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing just comes together. Drizzle the dressing over top of salad.

SPICY SOUTHWEST CHOPPED SALAD WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil; add the corn and boil 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the corn and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Cut the corn off of the cob and place into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
• Place the tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeno, onion, garlic, salt, and 4 teaspoons of lime juice into a blender. Pulse until the vegetables have been finely chopped; set aside. Toss the avocado with 1 teaspoon of lime juice and mix with the corn, cabbage, black beans, and bell pepper.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Season the chicken breasts with Cajun seasoning.
• Cook the chicken breasts on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Set the breasts aside until cool enough to handle; cut into bite sized pieces.
• Divide the lettuce leaves onto 4 plates. Mound the avocado mixture on top of the lettuce, followed by the chicken. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and garnish with lime wedges to serve.