Chop Salad

I fell in love with this salad at Portillo's in Chicago. I'm a texture eater and this is a dream for me. Every possible texture put in one bite. Crisp bacon, creamy cheese, soft pasta, crunch carrots, soft tomatos, crunch lettuce... you get the idea.

It takes awhile to chop all the veggies small, but it is key to making a great chop salad. Like all salads, the proportions and components are completely up to personal taste. You don't want to leave out the pasta or bacon... the heart and soul of this salad. You might be saying pasta and lettuce? Trust me, it's a great combination. It's an entire meal in a bowl. This is how I make it.


1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 oz Ditalini pasta, cooked and cooled
4-6 c romaine/iceberg lettuce mix, chopped small
1/2 c tomatoes, chopped small
1/2 c carrots, chopped small
1/2 c cucumber, chopped small (I use seedless)
1/4 c celery, chopped small
1/4 c feta cheese
Italian dressing

TOTAL COST: $4.80
Bacon $1.00 (Aldi's)
Pasta $.25 (Meijer)
Lettuce $2.00 (Meijer)
Tomato $.30 (Meijer)
Carrots $.20 (Aldi's)
Cucumber $.30 (Aldi's)
Celery $.10 (Aldi's)
Feta $.40 (Costco)
Dressing $.25 (Meijer)

VARIATIONS:
Red cabbage, sunflower seeds, turkey bacon, etc
Dressing - whatever you like - greek, ranch, vinagrette, etc.
Add protein like chicken, turkey,

TIP:
I chop extra veggies while I'm at it for making soup.