Today I’m using my Green Chile Sausage recipe in a beautiful Composed Salad. Normally, I would never have considered using sausage in a salad, but green chile sausage has a flavor profile that allows it to be used in a variety of ways, including in salads.
The composed salad shown here is just one variation of a salad using green chile sausage. There are many other ingredients that can be used in addition to or in place of what you see here. The recipe below lists the ingredients shown and a few other ingredients that are complementary to the green chile sausage. Of course, putting together a salad like this usually just comes down to using what you have on hand.
Regardless of the combination of ingredients you choose, I think that once you add the sausage you’ll discovered, as I did, that this green chile sausage makes a very tasty salad!
Composed Salad with Green Chile Sausage
This salad has all of the components for a hearty and healthy meal. Use the ingredients listed or make up your own. The recipe includes the ingredients shown in the picture but also lists other components that can be used. I'm sure you can come up with some of your own.
*See Kitchen Notes for substitutions and further information.
- Lettuce, enough to cover 2 plates
- 1/2 pound green chile sausage,* crumbled into bite size pieces
- 1/2 medium sweet bell pepper, sliced, cut slices in half
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 1 large orange*, wedges cut into pieces
- 10 black olives, sliced
- A few slices of red or sweet onion
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup Sweet and Spicy pepitas*
- Home fries* or wedges
- Avocado slices or chunks
- Corn
- Blanched Carrots
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. honey
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat a medium-size skillet. Crumble the sausage into bite pieces (as shown), and transfer to skillet. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is just cooked through. Don’t over cook it or else it will be dry.
Line two bowls or plates with torn lettuce.
- Divide the ingredients between two plates, arranging in rows or individual piles.
In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Taste. Adjust to your taste.
- Drizzle the dressing over the two salads. Go light because this salad doesn’t need much.
Green Chile Sausage – This sausage is a very satisfying complement to the ingredients listed; however, you could also use Mexican chorizo, hot Italian sausage or your favorite spicy breakfast sausage.
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Orange – During the winter months, we always go with with Cara Cara oranges, but you can use whatever you want as long as it’s a sweet and tasty orange.
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Salad Dressing – The salad only needs a simple oil and vinegar dressing if anything at all. If you want to eliminate the dressing, just top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Here are a couple of dressing ideas that would work:
A couple of other composed salads you will enjoy:
Parting Shot
Every year I grow paperwhites for the holidays. This year I added an amaryllis. It took a while to bloom, but it was worth the wait.
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I never had a green chili sausage before, so I am double curious š
Thanks Marta! It’s actually a very tasty chile with some spice but not as spicy as Mexican chorizo. So we use it when we want some a little milder but with good flavor.
I love composed salads, but have never thought to use sausage in them. Loving this delcious southwest version–especially with your homemade sausage!
Thanks Liz! I had never thought of using sausage either, but I wanted a salad and had just made the sausage. So there you go. š
I love such salads, so it immediately cought my attention, but never had it with homemade sausage! I would love to try that sausage, it sounds so spicy and delicious!
Happy New Year MJ! In my father’s village there is a butcher who makes his own sausages and they are terrific! This is the perfect recipe to use them!
Happy New Year to you Katerina!! Hope it’s off to a great start. Gotta love those local butchers. š We lost ours a couple of years ago. Shut down after 40 years. We miss him. Hope you find a great sausage to enjoy this salad. Thanks!
SAUSAGE!! How ambitious. You make it sound so easy though. I actually think I will try it, sans red pepper. It look delicious and very versatile.
Making sausage is SO EASY and yes, extremely versatile!! Hope you do try it. XOXO
BTW: The photo is STUNNING!!!
This green chile sausage looks delicious
thank you for sharing
You are most welcome! Thanks for your comment!
Wonderful…! am so glad reads your recipe and your salad looks sooooo delicious and beautiful, i will trying to making this salad. Thanks for sharing….!
Thanks Samantha! Hope you enjoy.
This salad includes some nutrient-dense and mouth-watering ingredients, MJ! I can’t wait to give it a try. š
Thanks Agness! I love making a full, healthy meal out of a salad and it’s so easy to do.
This looks like a salad I could even get my husband to eat as a meal! Delicious!
Thanks Amy! Definitely a salad for the non-salad eaters. š
Salad obviously looks delicious but that sausage recipe looks amazing. I am making it this weekend!!!!!! Your parting shot of that beautiful amaryllis is spectacular, MJ. Happy New Year!
Thanks so much Debra! I hope you enjoy the sausage. Please let me know how you like it.
Oh dear š You make your own sausages too !?! This must be Heaven ! I have to check if any left in the freezer to make this salad ! I will pass your idea to my friends to see brilliant new recipe ! This is another dish to be eaten at our sausage parties ! Thank you so much and I wish you have healthy and prosperous 2018. !
Thanks so much! Sausage party? Now that sounds like fun! I bet y’all come up with some very creative sausage flavors. And a Healthy and prosperous 2018 to you as well!!! Looking forward to more of your marvelous recipes.
The green chile sausage recipe is amazing! I can imagine this salad as a great beginning of applications with the sausage. With pasta, rice, lentils or soup, just fablous flavor.
thanks so much Deb! Yes, there are so many possibilities! Someone else mentioned pizza which sounds fabulous!
We love this homemade sausage recipe. This would be delicious in so many things and you know exactly what went in it and that is a very good thing.
Thanks Bobbi! Knowing what is in it is exactly why I started making my own sausage. I read the ingredients once on a package of sausage and couldn’t pronounce half of the ingredients. š
I’m so impressed you made your own sausage – you’re like a real cook š – and such a clever technique. I was gifted some homemade tamales recently and thought of you! Very pretty plating indeed — love the practicality and satisfying quality of meal salads and your honey lime dressing sounds perfect here. You’ve made me nostalgic for amaryllis – I used to grow them in late Nov/ early December (hoping for a bloom by Christmas) back in Canada – not sure why I haven’t continued the tradition here. Some memories just have to stay where they are (sniffle). Such a pretty shot.
Thanks so much Kelly! Using this technique, anyone can make sausage at home. As long as you don’t plan to smoke it, the casing is not necessary. I love making those composed salads. Not only do they look pretty, but you can pretty much use what you have on hand and make a very healthy and filling salad.
Oh tamales – I didn’t make any during the holidays, but plan to make some this week or next. I missed not having them!
I’ve been doing paperwhites for years and find them very easy to bloom using rocks and water. Wasn’t sure if it would work with the amaryllis but it did. I had read that the trick is not to let the water touch the bulb itself, just the roots. That seems to have worked. The last of the 4 blooms opened this weekend so now it is really beautiful from all directions. :)I’m thinking about going and getting another bulb.It would be nice for Valentines Day. You need to get back into that tradition. You know that it really is a relaxing exercise. š
Happy New Year MJ! And loving both recipes, the sausage particularly. Will have to give it a try.
Happy New Year to you too Evelyne! Thanks for dropping by! Hope you have a wonderful 2018.
Happy New Year, dear friend! When you said you would never consider putting a sausage into a salad, I thought… me neither, but your beautiful salad changed my mind in one second!
I almost wanted to say that I’d have to bribe a butcher’s employee (who makes fabulous fennel and black pepper sausages) to make chile sausages just for me, but now I see I can make them on my own and without casings!!!! Wow!!! Moreover, I’d never consider combining ground pork and chicken. I must absolutely taste this combination since I love both meats separately.
Thank you so much for such a delicious beginning of the year! By the way, the flower is beautiful!
And a Happy New Year to you! Thanks so much for your nice comments! The fennel and black pepper sausage sounds fantastic! I make a fennel and black pepper linguine pasta and I absolutely love! IMO – as long as you don’t plan to smoked the sausage, there is no reason why you can’t make it at home without the casing. Next, I’m going to try a homemade Italian. The pork and chicken is really nice in a sausage. I made this same sausage with just pork and it was too fatty and actually ended up rather dry. the chicken/pork combo was much better. I hope you give this or the chorizo a try. They both are really good!
Happy New Year, MJ! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. Your green chile sausage looks sounds delicious. I’ve been lucky to find green chile pork sausage at “Sprouts” here in the Kansas City area. When they have it I always pick up a few links for pizza and pasta dishes. I am in awe of you making your own sausage!! BTW your amaryllis is just beautiful!
And a Happy New Year to you Jan! OK, you just reminded me that this sausage would be good on pizza!!! I love sausage on pizza. Need to add that to my menu. š Thanks!!!
Oh my goodness, that amaryllis is gorgeous! And after the holidays, a beautiful salad in perfect for the menu. What a smart way to make sausage without complicated equipment — thanks MJ!
Thanks Judy! First time I’ve grown one in water and it worked. I’ll obviously be doing more often. š I love making sausage and no, you don’t need complicated equipment and casing and all that. Bulk sausage is so easy and you can adjust the seasoning to your own tastes. Happy 2018!
Beautiful amaryllis, MJ! And Happy New Year to you and yours!
The salad sounds and looks just amazing with that green chile sausage!
Thank you Angie! I think I could eat this sausage and salad every day. š
Two great dishes.
Thanks!
That flower shot is gorgeous! And the dish? Or dishes, I should say — fabulous. I love the idea of green chile sausage. And I just happen to have some green chile powder on hand so I can make it — lucky me! Really creative dishes — thanks. And Happy New Year!
Thank you John! It’s not hard to take a nice picture when you have such a beautiful and STILL subject. š Hope you do try the sausage. It’s rather mild which is why it can be used in so many ways. The flavor is great, just not as specific as a chorizo, if that make sense.