It’s so easy to fall into a salad rut. We use the same ingredients, we make the same dressing, and the salad we used to love becomes really boring. We eat a ton of salad in the summer because I grow lettuce in my garden, and if you’ve ever grown lettuce you know how it just explodes and you’re going to be eating salads every day. That’s not a problem if you have a variety of salad ingredients and dressings to use! If you’re looking for a fresh new salad to enjoy all summer long, this basil balsamic chopped salad is for you.
I love a good crunchy salad, and I always keep red cabbage in my refrigerator to add some crunch. Cabbage keeps for a long time so if you’re a salad eater, I highly recommend this little tip. This salad also has broccoli and cauliflower in it! I chop it into really small pieces but this simple, yet uncommon, salad addition makes it extra crunchy and even more healthy thanks to the variety of ingredients.
But this dressing. Oh this salad dressing. Balsamic vinegar with basil is such a fresh and genius combination, but the dressing is still so easy. If you want the dressing to be really smooth you can blend it in the food processor, but it’s just as delicious if you skip that step and just finely chop the fresh basil. Fresh basil is 100% necessary in this salad dressing because it has relatively few ingredients and that basil is an important one. This salad is perfect on it’s on, but you can also add a grilled protein of your choice for the perfect light summer meal.
Whether you’re in a salad rut or just need some new dressing ideas, this salad is here for you!
- 1 head red lettuce, cut into small pieces
- 2 cups chopped red cabbage
- 2 cups finely chopped cauliflower
- 2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
- 2 large carrots, julienned
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Grated parmesan cheese, for topping
- In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and red onion. I like having everything in this salad chopped into nice small pieces!
- In a small bowl or a food processor, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Whisk or pulse to combine.
- When ready to serve, toss dressing with salad and top with parmesan cheese.
- Enjoy!
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