This La Scala Chopped Salad recipe is easy to make and is loaded with flavor. Plus, it just looks so pretty! Ready for an amazing chopped salad that will impress your guests? This is it! You know I love to be a good hostess!
The La Scala Chopped Salad recipe is inspired by the salad made famous once it was created in the 1950s. Starting at the Beverly Hills Italian restaurant La Scala, this recipe was invented to satisfy celebrities with something light and healthy but also filling. Every day people everywhere decided that they too loved this salad and popularized this salad through the years.
What is a chopped salad?
A chopped salad is very simple. It is a salad that is made up of chopped vegetables. The vegetables are cut up into small bite-sized pieces. This makes them easier to eat and more flavorful than if they were left in larger pieces. Eating a regular salad can often be unflattering and unwieldy with large leaves of lettuce being hard to cut and eat.
Another kind of chopped salad that is widely known is the Cobb Salad. This salad was also created in California, at the famous Brown Derby restaurant in LA. These salads are often recognized as a Chicago food staple.
Why is this salad unique?
You’ll find delicious and crunchy flavors in most chopped salads. The La Scala Chopped salad gets its uniqueness from the marinated chickpeas, the salami and the fresh iceberg lettuce. And it is finished off with a tangy dressing that is both light and refreshing. It’s no wonder this salad is known for being the favorite of the Kardasians!
How to Make the Famous La Scala Chopped Salad
La Scala Chopped Salad Ingredients:
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup salami, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shreds
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
La Scala Chopped Salad Dressing Ingredients:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
How to prepare the La Scala Chopped Salad
In a bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, and salt & pepper then toss with chickpeas and set aside.
In a small jar with a lid combine dressing ingredients and shake well until the dressing comes together then set aside.
Cut lettuce and salami into thin strips and place in a large bowl.
Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss – add more dressing if desired.
Drain most of the marinade off the chickpeas and place them in an even layer at the bottom of a bowl.
Next, pack the salad over the top of the chickpeas.
Place a serving platter
or shallow bowl over the salad and carefully flip it over.
Lift the bowl to reveal a compact salad with marinated chickpeas on top
Serve & enjoy!
How to Make the Famous La Scala Chopped Salad
Ready for an amazing chopped salad that will impress your guests? This chopped La Scala salad recipe is easy to make and it's loaded with flavor.
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup salami, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shreds
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
- For the dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Instructions
In a bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, and salt & pepper then toss with chickpeas and set aside.
In a small jar with a lid combine dressing ingredients and shake well until the dressing comes together then set aside.
Cut lettuce and salami into thin strips and place in a large bowl.
Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss - add more dressing if desired.
Drain most of the marinade off the chickpeas and place them in an even layer in the bottom of a bowl.
Next, pack the salad over the top of the chickpeas.
Place a serving platter or shallow bowl over the salad and carefully flip over
Lift the bowl to reveal a compact salad with marinated chickpeas on top
Serve & enjoy!
I am a home cook that does things my way. In my kitchen, I make breakfast, pack lunches, prepare snacks, and cook dinner. During the week, we eat real food that is homemade, organic, and local. On the weekends we do explore more of our local restaurants. I bake my own bread, juice fresh oranges every other day, and make my own kombucha and other weekly favorites.
