The latest kick I’ve been on is making composed salads. Just what is a composed salad you might ask? Here’s the definition, “A salad in which the components are elaborately put together or arranged, then drizzled with a vinaigrette rather than tossed”.

A composed salad is a balance of different colors, flavors and textures and when it’s arranged on a platter it’s very appealing to the eye, and the more color the better!

I repeat, it must be placed on a platter, no bowls allowed and no tossing!

 It doesn’t matter what ingredients you use, the possibilities are endless! We all know of the famous Tuna Nicoise salad, well I swapped out chicken for the tuna and used other ingredients that I had on hand.

This salad was inspired from a rotisserie chicken I got from Whole Foods and some vegetables I cooked up before they went bad, which in my case were beets, red potatoes, green beans and some peppers. I added in hard boiled eggs, sliced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives, placed it all on a bed of arugula and drizzled it with a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing. This is a very substantial salad, maybe a little bread on the side and that’s it!

 No exact recipe here just let your imagination go wild, use what’s in season and what you have on hand, it’s hearty, healthy and oh so delicious!