jump on the salad party bandwagon: chopped salad platter

chopped salad platter | everybody likes sandwiches

The week before a craft show is full of crazy. Even though I prepped and planned a whole lot earlier than I would normally do, it’s still causing me stress. New designs, new products, a cute new garland for my table, it’s a whole lot of work. If you’re local and in Vancouver, please stop by my table at Got Craft this weekend and say hello (I’d love to hear from you!) – there’s a last minute venue change due to a fire but you can find all the latest details on their website.

chopped salad platter | everybody likes sandwiches

One thing that usually goes out the window when I’m busy is eating well. This week I haven’t ordered take out or stuffed my face full of stress chips.  Okay, that’s a lie. Yesterday my entire diet consisted of: 2 coffees, 1 bowl of cereal and 2 hot dogs. But ignore that because the rest of the week I was eating food that I was proud of. Besides that one slip up, I’ve been diligent in making fresh meals and by far my favourite meal of the week was this colourful chopped salad. I mean just look at it!!

chopped salad platter | everybody likes sandwiches

It’s so fresh and full of colour, texture and flavours! I was lucky to have recently roasted up some beets & cooked up some dry chickpeas, so that provided the basis for my salad. A nub of purple cabbage ready to shred, a large carrot grated, celery, cucumbers, green onions, red peppers, feathery fresh dill, mozzarella, and salami completed the dish. Oh, and there’s romaine lettuce too! I didn’t want to pile all of these ingredients over top the lettuce, especially since I knew we’d be eating this meal as leftovers the next day and I didn’t want to discover a soggy situation. Instead, I pretended I was one of those food bloggers who actually puts serious thought into presentation and went with it, arranging everything onto a large platter so that it was a feast for the eyeballs as well as the belly. Not bad!

chopped salad platter | everybody likes sandwiches

I had never had salami in a salad before and I was pretty smitten with it. For me, the roasted beets were a must, as were the chickpeas and fresh dill. But don’t worry about the ingredients because this dish is incredibly flexible. Want it vegan? No problem – just add tofu, grains and shredded vegan cheese! Want a different twist? Add cooled quinoa, grape tomatoes, shredded roasted chicken, and torn basil leaves. Get creative with your ingredients!  I went with a simple balsamic dressing and it went beautifully with the flavours.

chopped salad platter | everybody likes sandwiches

This is the kind of salad to serve at a casual dinner party. It’s funny because there are fondue parties, pizza parties and sundae parties, but I never hear about salad parties. I’m sure going to a salad party wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but really, why not? A salad doesn’t have to be boring. This should be the kind of un-boring salad for that kind of party! Beautiful ingredients composed on a large platter where guests can choose which ingredients to put on their plate. Protein, crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs – everything is represented here! Have some crusty bread and red wine and I think we could start a trend! Salad parties, it’s the new big thing for spring 2013…well, I’ll throw one and see how it goes. Hello, salad party!!

chopped salad platter | everybody likes sandwiches

14 comments to “jump on the salad party bandwagon: chopped salad platter”

  1. 1
    rox   April 26, 2013 at 10:17 am

    nom nom! this looks great. I need more salads like this in my life- I always get so bored…and then feel guilty for not eating enough salad.

  2. 2
    Nicole   April 26, 2013 at 10:40 am

    This is gorgeous!! Good for you for sticking to a healthy diet (mostly :)) during a stressful time. That’s always when I have trouble, too. Best of luck at your craft show! Wish I lived closer and could stop by! And YES to salad parties. Excellent idea.

  3. 3
    vanessa   April 26, 2013 at 11:33 am

    Dude, my vegan buddies and I were having salad parties BEFORE it was cool! 😉

    Seriously, about 5 or 6 years ago I RSVP’d to a “vegan salad party” on meetup.com or some such site, and never looked back! I met a bunch of great people that night, and I still remain friends with the organizer. She continued to hold sporadic potlucks for a few years after that; they’re on hiatus at the moment, sadly, but DAMN were they fun (and tasty)!

  4. 4
    Danielle   April 26, 2013 at 11:55 am

    Looks amazing! My friends and I definitely have salad parties. We have pot lucks a couple times a year and we each bring a different salad. It is a great time!

  5. 5
    Ashlae   April 26, 2013 at 7:39 pm

    Look at you go! I’ve got serious salad envy. I eat a big ass salad 5x a week and this definitely looks like a plate of vegetables I could get behind. Ya know, minus the meat and cheese.. + eggs 😉

  6. 6
    Joanne   April 27, 2013 at 3:34 am

    Having this huge platter of deliciousness on hand would definitely convince me to eat well and avoid the bad snacking!! Good luck at the craft show!

  7. 7
    LS Gournet   April 27, 2013 at 8:07 am

    That salad looks almost as good as I bet it tasted. Except for me the beets have to go – hate them with a passion no matter how they’re cooked. This has actually worked to my advantage, being diabetic I wouldn’t be able to eat them that much anyway. The colors on your salad are so vivid and beautiful that even without the beets this is going to be a winner for bbq’s this summer. Thanks for posting it.

  8. 8
    Joanne (Bijoux)   April 27, 2013 at 11:10 am

    I’m so mesmerized by the awesome colour wheel of veggies!!! Such a fantastic idea to host a salad party. If it hasn’t already, I have a feeling it may just become the next best thing. If I were invited to a salad party I wouldn’t hesitate to attend…yum!!

    Good luck at “Got Craft!”

  9. 9
    Marissa | Pinch and Swirl   April 28, 2013 at 9:25 am

    Oh my, the colors in that salad. Beautiful! What a terrific idea.
    Hope all goes well at the craft show!

  10. 10
    Eileen   April 28, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    This is such a good idea, especially for those days when you can’t really commit to cooking. There’s still delicious dinner for all! And salami in a salad does sound like a perfect plan.

  11. 11
    Elizabeth Mars   April 29, 2013 at 12:20 am

    Salads like these make it easy to eat the rainbow of nutrients and vitamins. I love salad and don’t really feel like I’ve eaten properly without a salad on the side.

  12. 12
    Nicki Woo   April 29, 2013 at 8:01 am

    That salad looks wonderful! I’m so proud of you for being busy but still making it a priority to eat well. I know its hard to do. I have to focus so hard on buying fresh and preparing good for us meals when times are stressed, but it is so worth it.

    Good for you!
    Hope your craft fair was a success!

  13. 13
    lyndsay   April 29, 2013 at 7:28 pm

    hi jeannette! wahhh i missed got craft, had such a busy weekend with my mother in law in town and cakemaking. wanted to try and sneak over late sunday but teddy ended up napping late! oh well! i always enjoy checking out your table and stocking up on my cards! are you going to post a pic of your table and the new garland? ^__^

    this salad looks FANTASTIC… fresh herbs make everything so great, particularly dill… just had a salad with it and i thought, geez i really do like dill! 🙂

  14. 14
    kickpleat   April 30, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    Thank you all for your kind messages, your thumbs up to salad parties and good thoughts! THANK YOU!!!!

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