Chopped Salad Recipe

Whole Veggies to Chopped Salad in 5 minutes. No time? No knife skills? No problem! This food processor salad takes salad cutting to the next level. You can have a finely chopped salad or chunky chopped salad in no time.

This post has been updated from the original posted October 19, 2019.

Love the idea of eating chopped salad….but not so much the making of it?  I’ve got news for you….it doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. You can use your food processor for chopping vegetables…yes, you read that right….and whatever veggies you have in the crisper drawer are the perfect ones to include in this easy food processor salad recipe.  YUP…whole veggies to chopped salad in 5 minutes.   You’ve got this.

Chopped Salad Recipe: 5 minutes to done!

How to use a food processor to chop vegetables:

Personally, I find chopping food by hand therapeutic, almost meditative. Give me a sharp knife, a wooden cutting board, a bunch of veggies and I’m a happy camper. However, chopping vegetables may not be YOUR idea of a good time. I get it. Many of my clients and most of my friends consider chopping veggies a chore—and something they just don’t want to do.

Sound familiar? Not to worry, you can still make chopped salad. I created this food processor salad for YOU…..because I want you to have more healthy chopped salad in your life. Not enough time is no longer a valid excuse. This food processor salad recipe will be ready in 5 minutes. Seriously. 5 minutes.

Is Chopped Salad Salad Healthy?

Food has the power to move us closer to health or closer to disease….and guess what? YOU are in the drivers seat and get to decide which it will be. Salad that’s loaded with fiber and antioxidant rich vegetables is a super healthy choice. Especially when you pour on a healthy homemade dressing. This chopped salad recipe takes you right to healthy in just 5 minutes.

Eating a wide variety of vegetables helps keep your gut microbiome diverse. New studies how that diversity is important to overall health and well being. Veggies like kale, cabbage, broccoli and carrots low in calories and high in nutrition. A chopped salad loaded with veggies is a healthy choice.

What’s in a Healthy Chopped Salad?

The quick and simple answer: VEGGIES. Any and all. What do you like? What do you have? Include some veggies that are crunchy, some that are sweet….look for texture, taste, color—-they are all packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber but are low in calories. For this particular salad, I usually choose veggies that will hold up well for several days in the fridge.

• Greens: Choose something hearty—like collards or kale if you plan on meal prepping this to have on hand for the week. Other good choices include romaine, swiss chard, baby kale, beet greens, arugula, watercress….they’re all good, they are all packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber but low in calories.
• Cruciferous Veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, radishes.
• Sweet Vegetables: carrots and beets are easy to chop in the food processor, offering crunch and flavor.
  

What makes a Chopped Salad?

The best thing about a chopped salad is that you get a little bit of everything in each bite. Crunch, texture, taste, color, flavor. It’s all there. It’s my favorite way to enjoy salad. Chopped salad is easy to eat gracefully since the veggies are cut into bite sized pieces.

If you’re trying to up your consumption of veggies but you’re bored with traditional salad, this food processor chopped salad is definitely the way to go. It’s easy to make, and you can add whatever veggies you want/have on hand. Not only that, but you can use different veggies every time you make it, to change things up and make it more interesting.

What kind of dressing should I put on my chopped salad?

I usually make a batch of tahini dressing because it’s quick and easy, uses wholesome ingredients that I always have on hand, is thick enough to really cling to the veggies in this salad, and also doesn’t require any added oil.

You can totally change the taste and experience of this classic chopped salad by changing up the dressing. If you’re looking for a less creamy dressing, on this salad, try this everyday salad dressing recipe which requires no special equipment, uses simple pantry ingredients and will be ready in 2 minutes. Another great salad dressing for chopped salad would be this green goddess dressing or try this chipotle dressing…YUM!

Ingredients for no oil dressing:

• TAHINI: Look for a brand that has just sesame seeds in the ingredient list. Sesame tahini has good amounts of calcium and the healthy fats help you absorb the fat soluble vitamins in the greens (A, D, E and K). Ground sesame paste is awesome to work with if you follow my number one tip: Store the unopened glass jar of tahini upside down in your pantry. When you first open the jar, mix THOROUGHLY to get a uniform texture. Then, it will be ready to use in your favorite tahini recipes (like these healthy brownies, low-carb cauliflower hummus or this green tahini sauce), without being too dry or too drippy. IF YOU CAN”T EAT SESAME, substitute the tahini with sun butter (made with sunflower seeds).
• TAMARI: A gluten-free alternative that has less sodium that traditional soy sauce.
• RICE VINEGAR: Look for a brand that is unsweetened. Rice vinegar has a more delicate and sweet flavor thatn white vinegar making it a great choice to use in dressing.
• MAPLE SYRUP: Just a splash to even out the flavor of this yummy dressing.
• CAYENNE PEPPER: You don’t need much to add just a bit of a kick that pairs beautifully with the other ingredients. Also, cayenne has metabolism boosting properties and has been shown to aid digestion.

No time to chop? Use your food processor!

You can easily use your food processor to chop vegetables, including kale…yes, chop kale in your food processor! A finely chopped salad is so easy to make this way and takes no time. Plus, you’ll use up all those veggies in your crisper drawer and have them prepped and ready to enjoy rather than let them spoil and go to waste.

While you’ve got that food processor out, make enough to last all week. Use a large glass bowl with a covered top to store all those chopped veggies in your fridge. Place a paper towel on top before covering to absorb any excess moisture and it should stay good for 5-7 days.

Grab a handful of chopped veggies, sprinkle on some nuts or seeds and some dressing….BAM, YUM! Throw in some leftover roasted veggies and change the dressing.…BAM, new and different YUM. If it’s cold out and you’re craving something warm, heat a pan and saute what’s in your already chopped up bowl in a bit of olive oil with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper……BAM, a unique stir fry experience. 5 minutes of prep, endless possibilities.

More easy healthy meal prep ideas for you:

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📖 Recipe

Chopped Salad Recipe

Author: Debra Klein

Food Processor Chopped Salad means you can have a nutritious and delicious chopped salad in 5 minutes! A little bit of everything in each bite….nutritious, delicious, crunchy, savory, creamy…it's got it all going on!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 177 kcal

Equipment

• Mini whisks
• Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids
• Food Processor

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 large carrots
• ▢ 3 stalks celery
• ▢ 2 cups broccoli florets
• ▢ ½ small head purple cabbage
• ▢ 1 small purple onion
• ▢ 1 bunch curly kale
• ▢ ½ cup sunflower seeds

Sunflower Dressing

• ▢ ½ cup tahini***
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons tamari
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

 

• Prepare Veggies: peel carrots, scrub celery, take middle core out of cabbage, peel onion, de-stem kale. Roughly chop each vegetable into large chunks to be put in the food processor.
• Using the "S" blade in your food processor, pulse each veggie separately until uniformly chopped and then transfer to a large bowl. There is no need to clean out the bowl in between.
• MAKE THE DRESSING: place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. If still too thick to pour, add additional water, 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired thickness. Taste for seasoning and add in S+P if needed.
• Toss desired amount of salad with dressing until fully mixed and then top with sunflower seeds.
• Store remaining chopped salad in container with tight fitting lid for up to 1 week. Store dressing in air tight container for up to 2 weeks. Shake vigorously or re-whisk dressing before using.

Notes

TAHINI: For sesame allergies, use sunbutter or any nut butter that can be tolerated.

When chopping the broccoli, chop off the stems and pulse a few times before adding in the tops, so you don’t have to completely pulverize the tops in order for the stems to get fully chopped.

MEAL PREP: Chop salad ingredients, store unmixed until ready to eat. Make dressing and store separately.

Salad already mixed with dressing will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 7gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 783mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4g

Note

The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag me @dkhealthcoach or use hashtag #dkhealtcoach on Instagram so I can see it!!