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Let’s be real here. This isn’t a quick salad (you’re going to cook chickpeas from scratch) and it’s not a low-key, throw-a-few-things-in-a-bowl salad. It’s a little labor-intensive-it is called a CHOPPED salad after all, so there will be some chopping involved. It is very oregano-forward as the entire dressing revolves around oregano as the key ingredient. As long as you understand all these aspects and know what to expect, I can fully guarantee you will turn out a damn good salad!
I’ve never eaten at Mozza in Los Angeles (bucket list!), but I have heard a lot about it and watched Nancy Silverton on many a food-centric show. I can quickly become obsessed with a dish that I’ve never tasted before just from seeing or hearing about it. Will I be able to tell you where I saw the dish that I thusly became obsessed with? Probably not. Much as I wish I could tell you where the revelation of this salad came to me, I have no idea what sparked my carnal need to remake this in my kitchen.
The chickpeas alone are good enough to eat straight from the pot as they cook, much like I did when I made this salad. They are doused in olive oil and cooked with aromatics, carrots, celery and a spicy chile de arbol. How could that not be good?
Combined with crisp, clean chopped Romaine, bitter Radicchio, sliced red onions, sweet cherry tomatoes, pickled peperoncini, and sliced salami and provolone, all brought together with the incredibly flavorful, protein-packed chickpeas and a zippy oregano vinaigrette-it’s crisp and refreshing and perfect for a summer dinner in the deck…or a hearty dinner in the colder months.
This is much like a classic antipasto sandwich (similar to this one), but in dinner salad format. You can easily serve this as a full meal, or slim it down into starter portions for a party.
Mozza Chopped Salad
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Description
A zesty, refreshing dinner salad (or side salad if you wish!) full of flavorful chickpeas, crisp lettuces, tomatoes, red onion, salami and provolone, all doused in an intensely flavored oregano vinaigrette.
Ingredients
CHICKPEAS:
- 1 cup peeled, dried chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large carrot, peeled and halved
- 1 celery rib, halved
- 1 dried chile de arbol
- 16 garlic cloves
- 1/2 yellow onion, halved
OREGANO VINAIGRETTE:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/1 to 1 tablespoons dried oregano
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
- 1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
TO ASSEMBLE:
- Half of a small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 head Romaine (about 7 ounces), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 head Radicchio (about 6 ounces), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 6 ounces sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 ounces salami (whatever flavor you like), sliced 1/8-inch-thick and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
- 4 ounces sliced provolone, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
- 5 peperoncini, stems removed and thinly sliced
- Cooked chickpeas
- Oregano Vinaigrette
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Dried oregano, for sprinkling
Instructions
- To cook the chickpeas: Place in a large, heavy-bottomed pot with enough water to cover them by 1-1/2 inches. Add the remaining ingredients (you can place the carrot, celery, dried chile, garlic and onion in a large piece of cheesecloth if you like). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chickpeas are very tender and creamy, about 2 hours and up to 4 hours (depending on how fresh your chickpeas are). Add more water if needed but not above 1-1/2 inches. When the chickpeas are tender, turn off the heat and allow to cool in the cooking liquid. Drain when cooled and set aside.
- For the Oregano Vinaigrette: Combine the vinegar, oregano, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until an emulsion forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the salad: Combine the red onion slices, romaine, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, salami, provolone, pepperoncini, and cooked chickpeas and toss to combine. Add enough vinaigrette just to coat the ingredients. Transfer to serving plates and serve with lemon wedges and additional dressing. Sprinkle with more dried oregano, if desired.
Notes
Inspiration: Nancy’s Chopped Salad from The Mozza Cookbook by Nancy Silverton
- Category: Salads
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