#BloggerCLUE ~ Sophie's Chopped Salad

Welcome to the January reveal day for the lovely C.L.U.E. Bloggers! Our theme this month is healthy eating - which means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To me it's about balance and incorporating fresh foods onto my plate at each meal. With that thought in mind I headed over to Liv Life, Kim's lovely blog full of tasty recipes, alongside beautiful pictures of food, family, and travels. Stop by soon and find a dish you will fall in love with! I had so many amazing options to pick from - I narrowed my list down to Grilled Tomato Pasta Salad, Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado, Tomato and Lime, Chicken Salad with Mango Chutney and Quinoa, Greek Salad Sandwiches, Sophie's Chopped Salad, California Corn Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad, Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, or a Caprese Salad!

I love this salad combination - lots of fantastic hearty ingredients that blend well together to leave you feeling full and satisfied. There are tons of great nutrients packed into this dish.

I've included two recipes below for dressing - the original recipe on Kim's site was for the balsamic vinaigrette but we thought with the black beans and pepper jack cheese that a zesty ranch might balance with the flavors better. You decide which version you might like to try!

• Apricot Muffins by Azmina fromLawyer Loves Lunch
• Broccoli Stalk Feta Salad by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Citrus Shrimp by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Couscous with Chicken and Vegetables by Sue from A Palatable Pastime
• Ginger-Citrus Grilled Salmon by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Irish Seafood Cocktail by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Massaged Kale Salad by Anna from annaDishes
• Mediterranean Chopped Salad by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Orange Banana Matcha Smoothie by Kim from Liv Life
• Red Lion Inn Swordfish by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower (with a kick) by Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Sophie's Chopped Salad by Rebekah from Making Miracles
• Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Bean Chili by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Winter Salad of Roasted Beets, Avocado and Grapefruit by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Sophie's Chopped Salad adapted from Liv Life

Ingredients
1 heart of romaine lettuce, chopped and washed
1/2 cup canned chick peas, rinsed
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
3/4 cup canned corn, drained
1 avocado, diced

Toppings:
1/4 cup diced jalapeno jack cheese
1/4 cup diced cheddar cheese
Crushed tortilla chips sprinkled on top

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper

Zesty Ranch Dressing:
2 TBS prepared Ranch dressing
2 TBS sour cream 
1 TBS lime juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Distribute salad greens between 3 - 4 plates. Combine remaining salad ingredients in a medium bowl, toss gently to combine. Distribute evenly over greens and sprinkle with desired amount of cheese and crushed chips.
2. Choose which dressing you would like to serve this with and prepare by whisking ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
3. Drizzle prepared salad with dressing and enjoy.
4. If desired, serve sliced grilled chicken on the side, or lay slices on top of salad before serving.