Veggie Chef Salad

This veggie chef salad is my version of a copycat recipe for café express’s veggie chef salad. It has a combination of pickled carrots, onions, jicama, shaved fennel, shaved parmesan cheese, avocado, grape tomatoes, glazed nuts and croutons that are served with a creamy parmesan dressing.

This salad was suggested to me by one of my Instagram followers as a salad that I should create a copycat recipe for. I guess it was on the Café express menu but was taken off. I managed to do some research and figure out what was in this salad.

While this isn’t technically a copycat recipe because I have never tried the original recipe and I did take a few of my own liberties with this recipe, it should still be a pretty close match to the original and I am obsessed with this salad!

When I say I am obsessed, I really mean it! I made and ate this salad 2 days in a row this week and finished every last bite every time I made it! There is something to the textures and flavors all combined with the yummy dressing that just makes it so SO delicious!

So, I can see why it is a favorite recipe! The dressing is creamy with just the right pop of vinegar, garlic and parmesan cheese. So yummy!

This recipe has quick pickled carrots and red onions. Doing a quick pickle is super easy to do and can be done ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator, the picked veggie recipe will give you enough to make 2 salads and those veggies can hang out in your fridge for a few weeks. You can also make them the day of and it doesn’t take long at all.

What you need to make this veggie chef salad: (printable recipe card below)

Makes 1 entrée sized salad

For the quick pickled veggies:

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup red onion – sliced
• 1/2 cup carrots — shredded
• 1/4 cup water

For the salad:

• 2 1/2 generous handfuls of spring mix
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup jicama – chopped
• 3 tablespoons quick pickled red onion
• 3 tablespoons quick pickled carrots
• 3 tablespoons shaved fennel
• 3 tablespoons shaved parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup croutons – any flavor but I love Italian
• 2 tablespoons glazed pecans of nuts of choice
• 1/2 avocado – sliced and placed on top

For the dressing:

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 clove garlic – minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• lemon zest from half a lemon (optional)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other flavor neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• pinch of salt and sugar

Instructions

1. To make the quick pickled veggies: Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together in a microwave safe dish and heat for 1:30 seconds or until it’s very hot.
2. Add the red onions and carrots to a heat proof bowl and then add the hot vinegar mixture on top.
3. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to turn a bright pink.
4. If using immediately, add 1/4 cup ice cubes to mixture and set aside while you make the salad.
5. If making this ahead of time, add the water, cover and refrigerate for whenever you are going to use them.
6. To make the salad: Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.
7. To make the dressing: In a blender, food processer or with an immersion blender, add all ingredients together and blend until dressing is smooth.
8. Top salad with dressing and enjoy!

Here are a few other recipes you may also enjoy:

Banh Mi Salad
Cajun Cobb Salad
Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad
Chicken Raspberry Nut Salad
Oriental Chicken Salad

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Veggie Chef Salad

This veggie chef salad has a combination of pickled carrots, onions, jicama, shaved fennel, shaved parmesan cheese, avocado, grape tomatoes, glazed nuts and croutons that are served with a creamy parmesan dressing.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Dinner, lunch, main course, Salad

Keyword: avocado, Dinner, fennel, Salad, side dish, summer, Tomatoes, Weekend Dinner

Servings: 1 large salad

Ingredients

For the quick pickled veggies:

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup red onion – sliced
• 1/2 cup carrots — shredded
• 1/4 cup water

For the salad:

• 2 1/2 generous handfuls of spring mix
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup jicama – chopped
• 3 tablespoons quick pickled red onion
• 3 tablespoons quick pickled carrots
• 3 tablespoons shaved fennel
• 3 tablespoons shaved parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup croutons – any flavor but I love Italian
• 2 tablespoons glazed pecans of nuts of choice
• 1/2 avocado – sliced and placed on top

For the dressing:

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• lemon zest from half a lemon optional
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other flavor neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• pinch of salt and sugar

Instructions

To make the quick pickled veggies:

• Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together in a microwave safe dish and heat for 1:30 seconds or until it’s very hot.
• Add the red onions and carrots to a heat proof bowl and then add the hot vinegar mixture on top.
• Let sit for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to turn a bright pink.
• If using immediately, add 1/4 cup ice cubes to mixture and set aside while you make the salad.
• If making this ahead of time, add the water, cover and refrigerate for whenever you are going to use them.

To make the salad:

• Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl

To make the dressing:

• In a blender, food processer or with an immersion blender, add all ingredients together and blend until dressing is smooth.
• Top salad with dressing and enjoy!