Chopped Salad (Maggiano’s Paleo Copycat)
If you can nail down a few good salad recipes such as this Chopped Salad (Maggiano's Paleo Copycat), you have won half the battle to eating healthier and feeling happier! That’s why creating a chopped Salad was at the top of my list. Green leafy vegetables contain a high B9 (folate), which helps you make more neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that make you happy! But wait, there’s more! It also has numerous other benefits, such as controlling blood sugar levels, and contains many nutrients such as potassium and beta carotene. I have to admit though, I like to have my green leafy vegetables chopped into bite-size pieces. There’s nothing worse than having a big leaf, doused in dressing, slapped on the side of your cheek. I want to enjoy my salad, not work through it!
A Paleo/Keto version of Maggiano’s Chopped Salad checked all those boxes for me.
The romaine is chopped into perfect bite-size pieces and provides an incredible flavor profile of prosciutto, avocado, tomatoes, and feta. Top that with an astonishing dressing and boom! Mouth explosion! So it’s the best of both worlds combining flavor and health benefits. I like my salad to be packed with an anti-inflammatory clean-up crew!
Lucky for you, I have made this chopped salad dressing dairy-free, gluten-free, and inflammation-free, so you can enjoy this salad worry-free.
Nutritional yeast is an amazing substitute for parmesan cheese in any recipe so remember that. It also contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein for vegans. It is also known for its rich amounts of B vitamins and minerals. The list goes on!! Instead of sugar, I used Lankanto’s Monkfruit Sweetener found at most grocery stores, Thrive Market, or Amazon. I also used vegan feta cheese, but if dairy is no problem, use regular. NOTE: Maggiano’s uses blue cheese and parmesan cheese, and if dairy is no problemo for you then choose what you like!
Inflammatory Canola Oil? No way, not on my watch!
I mean, why on earth would you eat a salad to get inflamed? You wouldn’t! The whole purpose of eating a salad is for health benefits. Thus, I removed the canola oil and replaced it with an Organic Olive Oil and Organic Avocado Oil blend to get a great fatty acid profile. In case you didn’t know, the type of fat you eat determines whether you will promote healing or promote inflammation. Avocado oil contains mostly oleíc acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, and lutein a powerful antioxidant. The point is this: avocado oil drives down inflammation and prevents cancer, whereas canola oil has been shown to increase inflammatory markers. Additionally, adding healthy fat improves the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins ADEK.
As always cooking should never be toxic, Check out my favorite NON-TOXIC COOKWARE!
What a wonderful thing to combine this fat with a chopped salad for better absorption of all the nutrients!
Chewing your chopped salad is key to digestion!
Look at this beauty! Get ready to be tempted to devour this salad quickly, but eat it slowly so you can digest it properly. Adequate chewing ensures that you get all the digestive juices from enzymes to acids flowing properly. Just like people, digestive juices get lazy and mad if they are doing too much work so give them a break and chew a little longer.
This recipe was adapted from https://thenovicechefblog.com/copycat-maggianos-chopped-salad/ Check out her recipes as well!
I am a Functional Medicine Physician and see patients worldwide via webcam. If you are struggling with weight loss or digestive issues, or just need guidance on what the heck to eat, please check out my
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xoxo, Dr. Sheena
Salad:
- 3 heads of romaine lettuce
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (quartered, rinsed)
- 3 oz of vegan feta cheese or regular if not dairy sensitive (well crumbled)
- 3 oz of prosciutto or 4 strips of bacon or turkey bacon chopped
- 1 large avocado (cubed and then finely chopped)
Dressing:
- 1 1/2 tsp of Lankanto Monkfruit Sweetener
- 1 tsp of dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper (more if you like spicy)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 2 TBSP white vinegar
- 1 TBSP Water
- 1/3 cup Organic Avocado Oil
- 1/3 cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese if not dairy-sensitive
Method For Salad:
- Fry the prosciutto or bacon in a medium-sized pan on medium until crispy. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, finely chop.
- Finely chop the romaine lettuce and then go back and make some noise and chop it again.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and cut the avocados into 1-inch cubes.
- Line each salad ingredient up in rows and set aside.
Method for Dressing:
- In a food processor or using an immersion blender mix all ingredients except the oil.
- Slowly pour the avocado and olive oil into the mix allowing time for it to blend well.
- Slowly pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently.
Enjoy!
