Salad Lovers Look No Further.

Not sure about y’all, but I sure love me some salads.  As cliché as it is for a girl to order one when she goes out to eat, I swear I do ALL the dang time.  Not because I’m trying to watch my waist, but I really prefer eating salad!!!  As much as I love the salad varieties on restaurant menus, I have to say that THIS salad is…hands down…my absolute FAVORITE.  Salad lovers look no further.  I swear this is the only recipe you’ll ever need!!!!

 

PEPERONCINI CHOPPED SALAD

Salad Ingredients:

4-6 cups chopped romaine or Herbed lettuce {I used the herbed lettuce already packaged up & chopped in the prepackaged salad section}

1 cup sliced peperoncini {you can buy these already sliced OR you can slice them yourself}

1 red bell peper, sliced into thin strips

1 tub crumbled Feta cheese {use as much or little as you prefer}

Grilled chicken, cut into strips {optional}

 

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. minced garlic {I use the chopped garlic in a bottle}

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Peperoncini brine {the juice from the peperoncini jar}

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil {I used Bertoli…my fave :)}

salt & pepper, to taste

 

In the last month, I’ve made this salad about 6-7 times.  Each time it gets better and better. These ingredients have become staples in my pantry.

First start by adding the lettuce to a large bowl.  Cut your red pepper into strips and slice your peperoncini {or take ‘em right out of the jar if you bought ‘em pre sliced} and toss with the lettuce.

 

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. 

This dressing is the bomb.com.  {Don’t judge me for using that phrase.} 

Now add the dressing to the lettuce mix and toss around until well coated.  Then go ahead and toss in the feta.  The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of crumbled feta, but I’m a feta lovin’ fool so I added the whole tub :)  You go ahead and decide what’s best for you!

I went ahead and tossed in some grilled chicken…cooked on my fabulous George Foreman…and it made the PERFECT dinner salad!!!  Definitely filling enough as an entrée! 

I seriously can’t say enough about this salad.  The flavors are TO DIE FOR.  For real.  And if you’re a fan of feta like me, then you’ll be **12 kinds** of happy.  I can’t get over how amazing this really is!!!  If you’re lookin’ to lose those dreaded extra 15lbs. as one of your NY resolutions, you can add this salad to your dinner rotation.  It’s low in sugar & carbs.  Infact, this is one of those recipes from Kalyn’s Kitchen and used in the first phase of the South Beach Diet.  Don’t knock it ‘til ya try it…that diet is the BEST!!!!!!  When I made this salad for dinner the first time, Mr. Spouse could not stop raving.  That’s all he had to do to give me the go ahead to have it every week since then :)  And I don’t see this goin’ off the menu any time soon!!   SO dang good!!!!