Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Escarole and Walnuts

Why This Recipe Works

Virtually any ingredients may be used, yet most chopped salads are uninspired, laden with deli meats and cheeses and drowned in dressing. With a world of options at our disposal, we steered our salad in a Mediterranean direction, starting with escarole. A member of the chicory family, this underutilized leafy green is loaded with vitamins and has a mild bitterness that pairs well with bold flavors. Next we added chopped cucumbers and grape tomatoes, salting them to remove excess moisture, and red onion. To make our salad hearty, instead of deli meat we incorporated nutty chickpeas. Kalamata olives added richness, and walnuts brought crunch and healthy fats. We tossed everything with a simple red wine vinaigrette to let the salad's flavors shine through. Finally, not wanting to completely eliminate cheese from our salad, we sprinkled on ½ cup of briny feta to round out the flavors.