Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (2024)

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This La Scala Chopped Salad features crisp lettuce, salty salami, and a tangy dressing. While this viral recipe is relatively new to social media, it’s been around for decades.

Looking for more freshsalad recipes? Try our shaved brussel sprout salad, cucumber tomato avocado salad, or quinoa salad with feta.

Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (1)

Table of Contents

  • What is the La Scala Chopped Salad?
  • Why I Love This Italian Chopped Salad
  • How to Make La Scala Chopped Salad (Copycat Recipe)
  • Expert Recipe Tips
  • Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
  • Recipe Variations
  • More Salad Recipes
  • La Scala Chopped Salad Recipe

Kim Kardashian made this famous salad recipe go viral for good reason.I love this salad so much I even turned it into an Italian pasta salad with salami.

What is the La Scala Chopped Salad?

The La Scala Chopped Salad is a legendary salad created by Chef Jean Leon, owner of the La Scala restaurant.

This famoussalad recipehas been serving Hollywood stars since the 1950s and recently became popular at home thanks to Kim Kardashian and TikTok.

Why I Love This Italian Chopped Salad

  1. Fresh ingredients that are easy to customize.
  2. So many delicious flavors from the salty salami, rich mozzarella, and tangy dressing ingredients.
  3. It’s healthy and low carb, but so satisfying—which makes it one of my favorite salads.
  4. This delicious salad is hearty enough for lunch on its own and easy to par with protein.
  5. You don’t have to be a famous celebrity to enjoy it at home!

How to Make La Scala Chopped Salad (Copycat Recipe)

Make the homemade dressing:add all of the ingredients to a small bowl or small jar. Shake everything together with a lid or use a whisk or spoon to stir all of the ingredients until combined.

Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (2)

Combine:Add all of the chopped lettuce, a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed), Italian salami, and mozzarella cheese to a large bowl. Pour the prepared dressing on top and toss to coat.

Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (3)

Serve: Enjoy this la scala salad recipe right away. Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days. Store the dressing separately to prep in advance.

Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (4)

Expert Recipe Tips

  1. Chop all of the ingredients to a uniform size. Shred the lettuce and cut the salami into thin strips. This combined with the shredded mozzarella is what makes a chopped salad so good.
  2. Buy pre-washed and shredded romaine and iceberg lettuce to save time.
  3. Use quality ingredients for the best salad. There aren’t many of them, so make sure to use crisp iceberg lettuce, and quality salami and cheese.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

To make ahead: The entire famous chopped salad can be made ahead the day before, or you can prep all of the components.

Chop all of the ingredients ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Make and store the dressing separately and toss just before serving. Perfect for meal prep!

To store: keep the leftovers in the fridge and enjoy within 1-2 days. Note: the dressing may cause the lettuce to wilt.

Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (5)

Recipe Variations

  • Add more Italian ingredients: throw in some sliced red onion, slivered sun-dried tomatoes, and thinly sliced bell pepper.
  • Add protein: Top the salad with grilled chicken breasts or grilled chicken thighs, or serve them on the side.
  • Vegetarian version: Omit the salami to create a delicious vegetarian chopped salad.
  • Mediterranean twist: Add feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and cucumbers.

More Salad Recipes

  • Grilled Peach Salad
  • Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
  • Tomato Peach Burrata Salad
  • Lemon Orzo Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
  • La Scala Chopped Pasta Salad
  • Strawberry Spinach Salad

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5 from 9 votes

La Scala Chopped Salad

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 0 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

This famous La Scala Chopped Salad is so easy to make at home! Toss the dressing and all of the ingredients together and enjoy on its own as a main dish or healthy lunch, or serve it on the side with your favorite protein.

Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (6)

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Molly Thompson

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Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Salad Dressing

  • cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard or 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese or grated parmesan cheese

Chopped Salad

  • 1 head (5-6 cups) shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 head (4-5 cups) shredded romaine lettuce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • ¼ lb (4 ounces) Italian salami thinly sliced
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add all of the salad dressing ingredients to a small bowl or small jar. Whisk everything together or close the lid and shake to combine.

  • To a large bowl, add the shredded lettuce, chickpeas, Italian salami, and mozzarella cheese. Pour the prepared dressing on top and toss to coat.

  • Enjoy this la scala salad recipe right away. Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days. Store the dressing separately to prep in advance.

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Notes

Shortcuts: purchase pre-shredded lettuce to save time chopping.

Italian Salami: this is different than lunchmeat or shaved salami you will find at the deli. I found it next to the specialty cheese section in our local grocery store.

Video

Equipment

  • Large bowl

  • Small bowl or jar to mix the dressing

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.8g | Protein: 24.7g | Fat: 24.7g | Cholesterol: 36.5mg | Sodium: 1216mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 1.6g | Vitamin A: 136.5IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Famous La Scala Chopped Salad (Easy Copycat Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the Leon's salad from La Scala? ›

The La Scala chopped salad was first created in the 50s by Chef Jean Leon at La Scala in Beverly Hills. It was made of iceberg lettuce, salami, marinated chickpeas, and cheese. Over the years, the salad has become a cult favorite and been praised by celebs such as Elizabeth Taylor and even JFK.

What is Kim Kardashian's favorite salad? ›

This viral La Scala Chopped Salad was made famous by none other than the Kardashians, so you know I needed to give it a try. All of the great flavours from an Italian cold cut but in a salad format. The best part is how customizable it is; grab what you love, give it a quick chop, and enjoy!

What is the history of La Scala chopped salad? ›

Concocted by restaurateur Jean Leon in the 1950s, the off-menu dish is still one of La Scala's – and LA's – most popular salads today. Ahead of this Sunday's Oscars ceremony, we get a flavour of its beginnings, and also serve up some showstopping salad ware for your own celebrations.

Why do chopped salads taste better? ›

With all components chopped small, each bite contains the lettuce, vegetables, cheese, protein etc. simultaneously. Your taste buds get to enjoy all the ingredients' flavors at once. Chewing an intact leaf mainly provides one taste.

What is the three sacred sisters salad? ›

Ingredients
  1. 2 pounds butternut squash.
  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  3. 1 (15.5-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
  4. 2 cups fresh corn kernels.
  5. ½ small red onion, sliced.
  6. ½ cup chopped fresh basil.
  7. Balsamic Vinaigrette.
  8. 3 cups loosely packed arugula.

What salad does Kylie Jenner eat? ›

The sesame chicken salad that Kylie Jenner eats every day. Butter lettuce, shredded red cabbage, cilantro, green onion, almonds, sesames and grilled chicken are tossing in a creamy sesame tahini dressing.

What does a chopped salad contain? ›

Lettuce, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese (usually parmesan or mozzarella balls), pepperoncini, onions, and if you like meat, throw in some chopped salami. What does it mean to ask for a salad chopped? It simply means that all the ingredients, including the lettuce, are chopped up small.

What kind of salad is Kourtney Kardashian always eating? ›

If you haven't heard of Health Nut, you probably known them more famously as the “Kardashian salads” that they are always eating/shaking around on their show (in case you aren't a fan of the show, the Kardashians' go-to order is the Chinese chicken salad and the mango iced greentini).

Why is chopped salad so popular? ›

Julie Pace, founder and dietitian at Core Nutrition + Wellness, agrees, telling Yahoo Life: “Chopped salads have become popular because they're versatile, colorful and so easy to prepare.

Why is it called a chopped salad? ›

The name "chopped salad" refers to the fact most items in the salad are chopped into similar bite-size pieces for incorporating lots of ingredient textures and flavors in one bite.

What salad was invented in California? ›

The iconic Cobb Salad was invented in 1937 at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, California, by Bob Cobb. The ingredients for Cobb Salad vary from recipe to recipe but they typically start with some sort of leafy green like Romaine lettuce.

Why are restaurant salads so much better than homemade? ›

A restaurant salad has salt on it.

Most good restaurants season salad carefully — probably adding salt and pepper directly to the greens, not just the dressing. If you don't usually add salt to your salads, try sprinkling in a little flaky sea salt next time and see if it doesn't taste 100% better.

Why do restaurant salads taste better than homemade? ›

Restaurants salt their salads.

"Salt is a big difference between salads at home and salads in a restaurant." This doesn't mean you have to make your salads salty! Just hold back some salt when seasoning your dressing.

How do restaurants get their salads so crisp? ›

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

What happened to Leon's potato salad? ›

As of Fall 2021 the company who currently owns the recipe for Leon's Potato Salad has STOPPED production of Leon's Potato Salad. They now have a potato salad called Sandridge Traditional Potato Salad that tastes just like Leon's the only difference is that the potatoes are CUT differently.

Why is it called Waldorf salad? ›

Waldorf salad is named for the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, where it was first created for a charity ball given in honor of the St. Mary's Hospital for Children on March 13, 1896.

Where does the funchoza salad come from? ›

Funchoza (Russian: фунчоза; Korean: 푼초자) or salat funchoza (салат фунчоза; 살라트 푼초자; lit. cellophane noodle salad) is a dish in Koryo-saram cuisine. It is variant of the Korean dish japchae, created by Koryo-saram: a group of the Korean diaspora of the former Soviet Union.

What is the name of the salad that was invented at hotel Caesar's in Tijuana? ›

Caesar salad was invented in the early 1920s by Caesar Cardini, an Italian chef who owned a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. He moved to Tijuana from California to avoid Prohibition, and it was here, on July 4th, 1924, where Caesar is believed to have invented the Caesar Salad.

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