Recipe: Italian Chopped House Salad with Dressing

This Italian Chopped Salad recipe is based on the chopped salad from Portillo’s in Chicago… so [...]

This Italian Chopped Salad recipe is based on the chopped salad from Portillo's in Chicago… so all you Chi-Towners, get ready for some fun! For those of you unfamiliar with Portillo's, this salad is pretty substantial, thanks to the ditalini pasta and bacon. The homemade tangy, Italian dressing coats the crunchy, crisp lettuce leaves for the perfect balance of salty, savory. Don't forget about the green onions! Every little bit counts when it comes to this tasty and healthy salad.

Skinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipeSkinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipeSkinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipeSkinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipeSkinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipeSkinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipeSkinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipeSkinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipe

Pro tip: This recipe calls for only half of the dressing it will yield. Use the leftovers on another yummy, healthy salad later!

Skinny Mom Italian Chopped Salad with House Dressing recipe

Recipe: Italian Chopped House Salad

Prep time: 25-30 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 slices center-cut bacon
  • 2 hearts of Romaine, chopped (about 8 cups)
  • ½ head of Iceberg lettuce, chopped (about 5 cups)
  • ¼ small head red cabbage, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked and cooled
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ⅓ cup reduced-fat blue cheese
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
  • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup canola oil

Instructions

  1. To prepare the bacon: preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and place a cooling rack on top of the foil.
  2. Lay the bacon strips on the rack, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until desired crispness. Set aside to cool, then crumble.
  3. To prepare the salad: Toss all of the ingredients except for the bacon in a large bowl.
  4. To make the dressing: Combine all of the ingredients except for the canola oil in a blender or food processor and blend until combined.
  5. With the blender or food processor on the lowest setting, stream in the oil slowly until the dressing is emulsified.
  6. Add the dressing and crumbled bacon to the salad, and toss with tongs to combine.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: (3 cups)

Calories: 270

Calories from fat: 115

Fat: 14g

Saturated Fat: 3g

Cholesterol: 41mg

Sodium: 229mg

Carbohydrates: 23g

Fiber: 4g

Sugar: 5g

Protein: 17g

SmartPoints: 7

3.1 The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.

0comments