A chopped salad is a catchall that’s easy to adapt

I spent the earliest years of my career working part-time as a private chef to supplement my writing income. When I tell people about this time in my life, I often get asked about the dishes I would make, and the assumptions skew toward fancy restaurant food.

Sure, there are plenty of those types of private chefs out there, but that was never me. I’ve always been a proud home cook, not a restaurant chef. This meant that my clients ended up being people who wanted my type of food. If someone wanted restaurant-level menus served in their house, I was the wrong fit for them. If they wanted home cooking, I was their person.

I made dishes such as pots of chicken soup, big batches of meatballs, platters of pasta and roasted potatoes, and endless iterations of grilled vegetables topped with herbs, nuts, cheese, lemon and olive oil. For dessert, I baked cobblers, crisps and homey cakes. No pastries on my watch! For lunch, I’d offer BLTs or tuna melts, sometimes burgers or grilled fish sandwiches. I’d serve these with sides such as herby potato salad, or tomato and peach salads. And I’d often make chopped salads, one of my absolute favorite things to prepare and eat.

I love chopped salads because anything can go in them. They’re a catchall. They’re a way to turn a side dish into a hearty, substantial meal. And one of my best versions was the one I’m sharing with you today: a Tex-Mex-inspired, crunchy romaine salad adorned with corn, black beans and radishes, all topped with seared shrimp and enveloped with creamy green goddess dressing.

For this salad, I lean on canned corn and black beans, because the first is reliably sweet and the second reliably tender. Plus, they’re both quick and easy to use, a key for a busy private chef — or just anyone trying to make dinner. Of course, if there’s fresh sweet corn where you live, by all means, use it!

For the dressing, I employ avocado as the fat rather than oil, only because I find it’s a great strategy for avocados that have gone a little mushy. If you’d prefer to use mayonnaise (regular or vegan), you can (just see the substitutions list below the recipe for amounts). The herbs in the dressing are also flexible, and this is an ideal way to finish off any extra herbs you may have on hand. One last note about the dressing: You’ll probably have leftovers, which can be used as a dip for vegetables or as a spread on sandwiches.

Feel free to riff on everything else in the salad. Use what you’ve got, and experiment with different combinations. Be your own private chef!

Green Goddess Chopped Salad With Shrimp

This filling salad features crisp lettuce, crunchy radishes, sweet corn, black beans and seared shrimp topped with a creamy green goddess dressing. An avocado stands in for the oil in the dressing, making it luscious and thick. Plus, green goddess is a great way to use up extra herbs you may have on hand.

You’ll probably have leftover dressing, which can be used as a dip for vegetables or on sandwiches.

Storage: Refrigerate the dressing for up to 4 days.

For the dressing

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

½ cup water

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

For the shrimp

1 pound large shrimp (26-30 or 31-35 count), peeled and deveined

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the salad

3 hearts romaine lettuce (12 ounces), roughly chopped (about 12 cups)

1½ cups corn kernels (fresh, canned or defrosted if frozen; see Substitutions)

4 red radishes, thinly sliced

One (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Make the dressing: In a blender, combine the basil, cilantro, parsley, avocado, garlic, water, vinegar, honey and salt, and purée until smooth. Taste, and season with additional salt and/or vinegar if needed. You should have about 1¾ cups.

Make the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry, and season generously with salt and pepper all over. In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Working in batches, if needed, so the shrimp don’t steam, sear the shrimp until pink and firm to the touch, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp, if needed.

Make the salad: Divide the romaine, corn, radishes and black beans among four bowls. Top each bowl with the shrimp and drizzle with about ¼ cup of dressing on each portion. Serve immediately, with additional dressing on the side.

Substitutions

Using fresh corn? You’ll need about 3 ears.

For white wine vinegar, sub rice vinegar or champagne vinegar.

Instead of honey, you can use maple or agave syrup.

For romaine, you can substitute your favorite salad greens.

Instead of basil, cilantro, and parsley, use two of the three herbs, or even just one — or substitute chives or chervil for any of the three.

If you don’t have avocados, you can use ½ cup mayonnaise (use regular or vegan) and lower the water to ¼ cup.

You can replace the shrimp with chicken or tofu, or just skip them!

For black beans, you can substitute kidney beans.

Additional toppings to consider: thinly sliced scallions, crushed tortilla chips, sliced pickled jalapeños and/or extra chopped cilantro.

Serves 4 (makes about 14 cups salad)

Nutritional facts per serving (about 7 shrimp, 3½ cups salad and ¼ cup dressing) | Calories: 405; Fat: 14 g: Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 41 g; Sodium: 531 mg; Cholesterol: 183 mg; Protein: 33 g; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 8 g

— From cookbook author Julia Turshen.