This Spicy Chopped Salad is a summer time staple – easy to make, no cooking required and full of fresh and vibrant flavors.
Summer Salads
Salads filled with ripe summer produce, fresh flavors, and easy to put together ingredients are a staple at my house during this season.
Not only are summer salads a great way to increase your daily intake of vegetables and fruits, but they don’t require much cooking. A win-win during the days when it’s just too hot to turn on the oven.
Taking Salads Beyond Lettuce
The key to keeping salads flavorful and interesting are thinking way beyond lettuce.
Some of my favorite salad ingredients –
- fresh fruits like berries, apples, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe
- all the veggies – cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers, sprouts, scallions, roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms
- dried fruit – cranberries, cherries, raisins, currants, apricots
- nuts & seeds – pistachios, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- extra flavor/texture enhancers – red onion, avocado, olives, fresh herbs
- protein sources – air fried tofu, grilled shrimp, leftover rotisserie chicken, tuna, salmon, hard boiled egg, lentils, beans
Spicy Chopped Salad
This Spicy Chopped Salad is inspired by a this Smashed Buffalo Cucumber Salad with Avocado from How Sweet Eats. I saw it on Instagram and it looked so packed with flavor.
I changed up the ingredients based on what I typically have on hand. However, let me just tell you that the original recipe is amazing and I highly recommend it!
Why I love this Spicy Chopped Salad –
- Arugula – peppery and part of the same family as broccoli & kale, this cruciferous veggie is antioxidant packed. Check out the Health Benefits of Arugula here.
- Cucumber – low in calories, a source of fiber & vitamins while also a great source of water
- Scallions – an easy way to add flavor to salads
- Shredded Chicken – a good source of lean protein, it makes this salad a filling meal. I love using leftover rotisserie chicken to save time
- Avocado – filling and a healthy source of fat, it also gives such a creamy texture
- Peanuts – Crispy & crunchy, these nuts are a great way to add texture to this salad
- Crumbled cheese – since there are so many flavors in this delicious salad, only a small amount of cheese is needed for flavor. I used goat cheese in this salad for a great amount of tang but feta or blue cheese would work just as well.
- Hot Sauce – I love the idea of using a drizzle of hot sauce in place of dressing to add that spicy kick to this salad
Spicy Chopped Salad Recipe
I’ve already made this recipe about 10 times and I still can’t get enough! I like to pre-chop everything and then just pull it together quickly for tasty weekday lunches.
Spicy Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula rough chop
- 1 cucumber sliced (peeled if desired)
- 3 bunches scallions sliced (green and white part)
- 1 cup leftover rotisserie chicken or any shredded/cubed chicken
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese works too
- 2 tbsp cilantro rough chop
- 1/4 cup peanuts chopped
- 2 oz Frank's Red Hot Sauce or hot sauce of your choosing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped arugula, cucumber, scallions, chicken, diced avocado and goat cheese. Mix carefully
- Top with cilantro and and chopped peanuts
- Drizzle entire salad hot sauce and serve
More Summer Salad Recipes
Check out these other great summer salad recipes to enjoy this season…
Summer Peach Salad with Couscous & Pistachio
Blueberry and Watermelon Salad
Cucumber and Cantaloupe Salad with Za’atar
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As a traditional non salad fan, i would recommend this for anyone who has someone like me at home 🙂
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