AliLarter.com

June 5, 2014

Lately, LA has been bringing the heat, and I’m turning to crisp summer salads.  My favorite, this vegetable chop, is light enough to munch on all day, while also being nutritionally dense and protein packed enough to power me through work.  And with all of it’s many colors, it’s an elegant addition to any menu.   So harken back to that time-honored advice and, this summer, eat your veggies!  That way, when you get to the BBQ you’re attending later, you can make eyes at that cheeseburger you’ve been dreaming about…

SUMMER VEGETABLE CHOPPED SALAD

Ingredients for Summer Salad:

4 stalks Celery
1 large Cucumber
1 bunch Radishes
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
½ Red Onion
1 can Artichoke Hearts, drained
1 can Garbanzo Beans, drained
6 oz. crumbled Feta Cheese

 

Ingredients for Red Wine Vinaigrette:

3 tbls. Red Wine Vinegar
5 tbls. E.V.O.O.
juice of 1 Lemon
Flaked Sea Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Herbs de Provence, to taste

 

Instructions for Red Wine Vinaigrette:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk rapidly with a fork.

Instructions for Summer Salad:

Cut the Celery and Bell Pepper into small, ½-1 inch pieces.  Slice Cucumbers thinly, at a diagonal, keeping the skin on – do the same with the Radishes, slicing them extra-fine so they are translucent.  Quick-chop the Red Onion into tiny morsels.

Combine the vegetables with the Artichoke Hearts, Garbanzo Beans, and Feta, and toss with the Red Wine Vinaigrette.  Add a fork, a sunny spot, and a book, and actually enjoy eating your veggies!

Total prep time: 30 mins.

Serves: 4