Chopped Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing

Chopped Salad with fresh arugula, dried cranberries, crunchy red peppers, feta cheese, sweet corn, and couscous tossed with a creamy basil dressing. This is a favorite from Wildflower, Citizen Public House, and the Gladly restaurants.

Chopped Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing

One of my favorite restaurants to go to in Arizona is Wildflower Bread Company. They have vibrant, healthy salads with homemade crusty bread. My Mom introduced me to her go-to salad, their famous Chopped Salad. Ever since then, we order it every single time.

Last year we got together with my husband’s cousins. His cousin’s wife, Christine, made a copycat version of this chopped salad. I literally had 3 servings! No shame. I begged her for the recipe and went straight to the store to pick up the ingredients. This salad just keeps you guessing! The ingredients just go perfectly together.

What is in this Chopped Salad?

It begins with peppery arugula. Dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness. Red peppers add a nice crunch. Feta cheese adds a salty creaminess. Sweet dried corn adds a crunchy sweetness. Couscous adds some heartiness. Sunflower seeds add an earthy crunch. The creamy basil dressing adds a burst of freshness. Everything is chopped small so you can get all of the unique flavors in one single bite. You will love this salad!

If you aren’t a huge fan of arugula, you can use spring mix or romaine lettuce. This Chopped Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing recipe calls for freeze dried corn. You may ask what in the world is freeze-dried corn? It tastes amazing! It is literally corn harvested at its freshest and freeze-dried so it is sweet and crunchy at the same time. I have found it at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Winco, and Amazon. I am sure there are many other places that sell freeze-dried corn. If you can’t find it, you can use fresh corn off the cob or even frozen corn.

The creamy basil dressing is made with an abundance of fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, mayonnaise, a touch of sugar, red wine vinegar, and salt. It is a hybrid between a vinaigrette and a creamy dressing. I make mine in a food processor but a blender works great too! You will want to lick the bowl!

This chopped salad recipe is famous at Wildflower, Citizen Public House, and the Gladly restaurants and will become one of your favorite salad recipes.

Fresh Salad Recipes:

Strawberry Spring Mix Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Italian Chopped Salad

Greek Salad

To find more SALAD recipes click below:

Nuts + Berries Salad

Colorful Greek Salad

Berry Candied Pecan Salad with Vanilla Dressing

Southwestern Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

{To find all of my favorite kitchen items in one place, click HERE}

Chopped Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing

By: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey Chopped Salad with fresh arugula, dried cranberries, crunchy red peppers, feta cheese, sweet corn, and couscous tossed with a creamy basil dressing. Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

6 – 8 cups Arugula
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
3/4 cup Feta Cheese
1/2 cup Couscous cooked according to package instructions
1 Red Pepper diced
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds or Pepitas
3/4 cup Freeze-Dried Corn or Fresh Corn

Creamy Basil Dressing

1 cup heaping Fresh Basil Leaves
1/3 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar or any vinegar
1/2 – 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

In a large bowl, add arugula. Layer on dried cranberries, feta cheese, cooked and drained couscous, diced red pepper, sunflower seeds, and corn.

To make dressing:

In a blender or food processor, whip together basil, oil, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and salt. Taste and add more salt or sugar, if desired.
Toss dressing with salad. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal
Carbohydrates: 28g
Protein: 7g
Fat: 27g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 299mg
Potassium: 251mg
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 11g
Vitamin A: 1595IU
Vitamin C: 31.1mg
Calcium: 146mg
Iron: 1.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: SaladCuisine: AmericanServings: 6
Calories: 378Keyword: chopped salad, wildflower chopped salad

Who has tried this chopped salad with arugula at a restaurant before? It is unbelievably fresh and delicious! Add chicken breast or salmon for a complete meal. I hope you love it! Thanks for stopping by.

— Melissa