California Pizza Kitchen’s chopped salad has been a favorite of mine for YEARS, back when we lived in Los Angeles. It is SO GOOD! 

After we moved to Houston, I’d given up on ever experiencing the delight of CPK chopped salad again. Until one glorious day … Google gave me the recipe!

There it was. A series of simple steps and at the end awaits the salad dressing of life! No, seriously. It’s that good. Just be sure to follow the directions to the letter.

I’ve been making this salad since 2004 and it doesn’t disappoint. My triplets are very picky about what they eat and it’s rare for all 3 to agree on anything. Well, they all love chopped salad!

INGREDIENTS

DRESSING

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons shallots, minced
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• ¹/₂ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¹/₄ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹/₄ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 ¹/₃ cups olive oil, mild flavored
• 3 tablespoonsparmesan cheese, grated

SALAD

• ¹/₂ head iceberg lettuce, chopped into 1/8 inch wide strips
• ¹/₂ head romaine lettuce, chopped into 1/8 inch wide strips
• 12 leaves basil, chopped into fine strips
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• 4 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3 cups turkey breast, diced
• ¹/₂cup salami, cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. For dressing, whisk together ingredients in a small bowl and chill for an hour.
2. For salad, toss together the ingredients in a large bowl and chill in your refrigerator.
3. Just before serving, toss dressing with salad and serve on small individual plates.
4. Can serve 4 for a main dish or 8 for small side salads.