I think I?m about to resonate with a lot of Midwesterners: Portillo?s is the holy grail of fast casual dining. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, it was a mandatory stop on every errand with my mom and dad. Some of my earliest memories involve sitting in a hard plastic booth, feet swinging beneath me, munching on crinkle fries. While Portillo?s is best known for Italian beef, burgers, and hotdogs, I always ordered penne with marinara (no surprise there). As my palate developed and I realized how tasty vegetables could be, I fell in love with Portillo?s chopped salad. Portillo?s chopped salad comes with bits of chicken, bacon, and gorgonzola cheese, but since their salads are made fresh to order, it?s easy to order it vegetarian or vegan. Now that I live in Los Angeles, the closest Portillo?s is a good hour away. Luckily, it wasn?t too hard to figure out what makes that chopped salad so darn delicious. My spin is completely vegan and has a few extra additions to make the flavors really pop.First, your veggies should be ultra fresh, since they?re the foundation of the dish. That sad, limp lettuce hanging out in your crisper drawer has no place here! Second, the pasta shape is very important. Choose something small, like ditalini, orzo, or if you must, macaroni. Larger noodles like penne and rotini won?t give you the same mouthfeel. Quinoa is a good option if you?re making this chopped salad gluten-free. Third, I found that without cheese, the chopped salad was lacking a cr...