After dropping our daughter off at her college dorm on a recent visit to Boston, we popped into a happening restaurant near our hotel for an after dinner drink. As we sat at the bar sipping our cocktails, we noticed two dapperly dressed gentlemen next to us who were eating their dinner. The one closest to me was obviously enjoying a very tasty looking chopped salad that got both of our mouths watering. We tried guessing all of the ingredients on his plate: romaine lettuce, green beans, chickpeas, hard-boiled egg, bacon, blue cheese. All were perfectly diced and tossed in a creamy dressing–I had to stop myself from reaching over and grabbing a bite! There’s something oddly gratifying about eating a chopped salad. When all the components are cut to the same size, one forkful brings together a symphony of flavors. This is a salad that sings in your mouth.
Shrimp Chopped Salad
As usual, I chose to take a few liberties with my interpretation of this dish. First of all, we would be making a supper out of it, so I decided to take it up a notch by adding the shrimp (at my husband’s suggestion). To make it a bit more seasonal and lend extra crunch, I threw in diced Granny Smith apple–a nice, tart touch. A little cucumber, some red onion, and a creamy buttermilk dressing to bring all the elements together. So, here we go–easy and elegant. Super for supper.
The key here is to chop all your components to roughly the same size for maximum mouth pleasure. Begin by cooking all the ingredients that need to be cooked. Place 2 large eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Slowly bring to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Set a timer for 10 minutes, then drain, and run cold water over the eggs to stop cooking. Peel and chop.
There seems to be no regularity in shrimp labeling at the market–one fishmonger’s large is another monger’s jumbo. Best to just go by size count; that is, the higher the number per pound, the smaller the shrimp. For example: 20/25 means 20 to 25 shrimp per pound, 16/20 means 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. Colossal shrimp, the best for grilling, are usually sold as U/6, meaning 6 or less pieces per pound. I generally use the 12/15 or 16/20 size (usually sold as extra large and jumbo) for most of my recipes, as they’re a good size for serving and tend to be meatier. Oh, and buy wild whenever possible. Bring a saucepan of water to boil, add a large pinch of sea salt and drop in a pound of extra large shrimp in their shells. Adjust heat to gently boil for about 3 to 5 minutes (depending on size) until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through. Immediately drain and shock in an ice water bath to halt cooking.
When the shrimp have cooled, peel off their shells and chop them in thirds or quarters.
Boil water in another saucepan. Add a pinch of kosher salt, a bunch of green beans, and bring back to the boil. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove with a strainer and shock in ice water. When cool, dry off and cut into bite size pieces.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat until hot. Add bacon slices to pan and cook until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels and chop.
Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas in a strainer. Chop an entire romaine heart into bite size pieces. Rinse well and spin dry in a salad spinner.
Chop a small red onion. Peel and chop an English or hothouse cucumber.
Crumble the blue cheese. I use my favorite Maytag blue cheese because it’s creamy and not too pungent. Peel and dice a Granny Smith apple.
Combine all the components in a large bowl. Make the Buttermilk Dressing: in a garlic press, press a garlic clove into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise, buttermilk, white wine vinegar, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Whisk well and pour over salad.
Toss well and serve in a pretty bowl. Dig in and delight in the crunch!
Serves 4:2 large eggs
1 pound shrimp, 12/15 or 16/20 size
large pinch of sea salt
1/4 pound green beans
pinch of kosher salt
4 slices bacon
1 14 ounce can of chickpeas
1 romaine heart
1 small red onion
1 hothouse cucumber
1 Granny Smith apple
Buttermilk Dressing:
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Thanks, Christine! Please let me know how you like the dish.
This looks so good. Will have to try this. Thanks for sharing.