It took me years, YEARS, to finally treat myself to a good quality knife, and boy am I glad I did. It really has made all the difference in my cooking. Some people argue that a good sharp knife is the most important kitchen tool you can own, and I’m inclined to agree with them. The problem with finally forking out the cash for a nice knife though is that ALL knives, no matter how good they are to begin with, start to lose their edge after the first cut and will be dull within a few months of regular use. This is why professionals sharpen their knives daily. (Any Top Chef fans out there?)
Now, you may be thinking that keeping your knives sharp sounds like a lot of work, maybe even too much work. Right about now, you may even be resigning yourself to knives bought at the goodwill for the rest of your life and accepting the fact that you’ll never be able to cut a tomato...but not so fast. I recently discovered the ease of sharpening my knives at home using the E5 electric Kitchen Knife Sharpener made by Work Sharp Culinary. You guys...it is a dream come true! This little gadget is so straightforward to use, you literally just hit a button! I am now able to sharpen and refine all of my knives regularly (yeah, makes me feel really cool if I’m being honest), which means that preparing things like this Italian Chopped Salad is now a breeze, rather than a workout.
What is in an Italian Chop Salad?
Typically Lettuce, Salami, olives, bell peppers, cucumber, and tomatoes make up this salad. And yes, they all get chopped before getting tossed. Some people refer to this type of dish as an Antipasto Salad. For even more flavor I deviated from tradition a bit and added some quick pickled red onions, basil and some really good parmesan cheese. I might be biased, but I think it’s the best chopped (or Antipasto) salad recipe ever and I’m feeling really confident you’re gonna love it, too.
As spring and summer quickly (maybe not quickly enough for some people) approach, and I await the arrival of my third child any day now, I am on the hunt for/creating as many quick and healthy salad recipes as I can to get me through the busy days to come, and this classic Italian chopped salad recipe (with a few favorite “extra” things added to it) has already been in heavy rotation. I keep all of its ingredients on hand and make it when I don’t really feel like cooking (let’s face it, at 38 weeks pregnant I never feel like cooking) or as an easy-to-prepare side dish to take to any gathering. Besides all of the fresh and crispy ingredients that make this dish completely craveable, this chopped salad dressing puts it really over the top. It’s all about that red wine vinegar, garlic, and fresh oregano! Thanks to my always sharp knife, I can whip this delish meal up in a flash and be happily crunching away and satisfying my craving in no time.
Other amazing salads that require a good sharp knife for chopping:
Chop Salad with Herb Yogurt Dressing
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing
Southwest Style Cobb Salad with Smoky Chipotle Dressing
This sponsored post is written by TMP on behalf of Work Sharp Culinary. The opinions and text are all ours. Thank you for supporting the brands we love.
