Everyone loves a chopped salad, even those who don’t usually like salad. The combination of crisp bits of lettuce with a bevy of textures and flavors just can’t be underestimated.

This Crispy, Crunchy Chopped Salad is tossed with a classic vinaigrette with a twist from champagne vinegar and a hint of sweetness from agave nectar. Feel free to customize the salad, substituting pears or peaches for the apple, dried cranberries for the cherries, honey-roasted peanuts for the candied pecans and feta for the blue cheese. The salad is a delicious part of our Autumn Vegetarian Soup and Salad Supper and you can make it vegan by omitting the cheese.

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons champagne or rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head radicchio, cored and finely chopped
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, finely chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup store-bought candied pecans or pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Whisk Dijon mustard, vinegar and agave nectar or honey in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place lettuces, apples, green onions, cherries, pecans and cheese in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.

Makes 6 servings.