If you have ever been on the Los Angeles food scene or are a fan of the Kardashians, you know that La Scala's chopped salad is iconic - it went viral for a reason! Packed with smokey salami, little bites of bocconcini cheese, and a tangy dressing, this recipe makes salad fun! This copycat recipe for La Scala's salami chopped salad uses simple, fresh ingredients to mimic the restaurant's famous salad recipe.
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
A delicious restaurant copycat: This salad is extremely similar to the iconic restaurant version - without having to make a reservation! If you have been around here before, you know I love a good copycat recipe - think longhorn mac and cheese, panera kitchen sink cookies, cava lentil tabbouleh - the list can go on forever.
Fresh flavors: This salad is packed with bright, fresh flavors. The tangy vinaigrette paired with crisp lettuces, smokey salami, and juicy produce make for the ultimate fresh salad.
Quick to make: One of the reasons why this salad is so quick to make is because it requires little-to-no prep work. Instead of going the messier chopped salad route by chopping everything on a cutting board, I like to layer the individually chopped ingredients for quicker clean-up, and a little more variation of texture!
🥘Ingredients
- Iceberg lettuce: Iceberg lettuce adds the 'crunch' factor to this salad. Iceberg is known for its iconic crisp and refreshing texture and flavor, which is why it is a must in a salad that is finely chopped. Iceberg is a great choice for a lot of classic salads, like a wedge salad, for the nostalgic element too.
- Romaine lettuce: Romaine lettuce is also relatively mild in flavor, but it does add a 'leafy' texture to the salad that iceberg lacks.
- Salami: I used a thicker-cut smoked salami for this salad. A smoked salami is ideal as it is not as oily as a genoa or calabrese salami. Thicker-cut slices ensure that you get a nice bite of salami in every forkful!
- Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are perfect for this salad, as they will not water down the salad as whole tomatoes would. As cherry tomatoes have far less seeds and flesh, they maintain their juiciness and texture in a chopped salad.
- Roasted red peppers: I recommend using jarred whole roasted red peppers packed in water. This will allow you to chop the peppers to your desired size, and are slightly fresher than peppers packed in oil.
- Chickpeas: These are sometimes referred to as garbanzo beans, too. Canned chickpeas work perfectly fine in this recipe. Make sure you are draining and rinsing the chickpeas thoroughly before using them in the salad.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Salami: Pepperoni would make a good substitute for salami in this salad. Alternatively, you can use turkey to keep it on the lighter side. If you are feeling even more adventurous, mix up the meats with some spicy pepperoni and plain salami. If you enjoy more spiced varieties of salami, like spicy Calabrese or peppercorn, you can absolutely use them.
- Bocconcini cheese: You can use regular mozzarella, or provolone cheese instead, which is more true to the restaurant version of the salad. If you are in a rush, you can use shredded mozzarella or provolone, and add a sprinkle into the salad.
- Lettuces: You can opt for all iceberg, or all romaine lettuce if you only have one type on hand.
- Mustard powder: Fresh dijon mustard is a good substitute for dried mustard powder.
- Homemade dressing: If you are running on a time crunch or are just looking for store-bought shortcuts, a good quality.
🔪Variations
- Vegetarian: Omit the salami to make this salad completely vegetarian. You can experiment with some extra beans, such as cannelini white beans, to add some additional protein to the salad.
- Antipasto: Add castelvetrano olives and marinated artichoke hearts to give this salad more of an antipasto twist.
- Extra cheesy: Finish this salad with pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, for an extra cheesy layer.
- Herby: Tear in some fresh basil, for a delicious and bright herby twist.
- Extra protein: Top this Italian chopped salad with grilled chicken breasts, to bump up the protein factor.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Core the iceberg lettuce by smashing it core-side down on a flat surface. The core should lift right out of the lettuce. Split the head of iceberg in half, and store half for later use. Portion the remaining half in half once more, and shred the lettuce into thin ribbons. [photo 1]
Cut a romaine heart in half, and shred into similar-sized ribbons as the iceberg lettuce. Layer both lettuces onto a platter.
Roughly chop the sliced salami, bocconcini cheese and roasted red peppers. Add onto the shredded lettuce on a platter. [photos 2-3]
Halve the cherry tomatoes, and add to the top of the platter, along with the chickpeas.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Put the lid of the mason jar on, and shake to combine. Drizzle the dressing onto the salad just before before serving. Toss, and serve. [photo 4]
💭Expert Tips
Make extra dressing: Keep extra dressing on hand in the fridge for the week! The dressing will keep well in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Marinate the chickpeas: For an extra layer of flavor, drizzle half of the salad dressing onto the chickpeas and allow them to marinate in the dressing. This is more of a traditional way of making this restaurant-style salad.
You can use a traditional chopped salad method: If you prefer the classic method of chopping everything together, you can absolutely use that method for this recipe.
Use cold ingredients: This small tip will make all the difference. Cold ingredients will chop up nicely, and will also give you that crisp, refreshing bite that you expect from this salad.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
The salad dressing can be made in advance, and stored in a mason jar in the fridge. This is actually preferable, as the tangy flavors will meld together.
Individual components of the salad can be chopped and prepped in advance, as long as they are stored in individual, airtight containers. Keep these ingredients fresh and crisp in the fridge.
Leftover salad that has been dressed is best eaten within a few hours to preserve the crisp texture.
The most I would recommend storing leftover salad is 1-2 days, in an airtight container. If the salad is dressed, be mindful that the lettuce will wilt and the texture will change.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, a chopped salad is made by placing all the ingredients in a cutting board, and chopping them at the same time into fine-sized pieces. That method works for this recipe as well, depending on the texture and method you prefer.
Chopped salads are a great meal on their own, but you can serve up this salad with a side of savory pull-apart bread, or a refreshing rose sangria for a weekend lunch!
Including too much liquid from the ingredients, or dressing your salad too far in advance, are two of the main reasons why your salad may end up soggy. I recommend ensuring that you drain your bocconcini cheese as well as chickpeas thoroughly, to avoid any extra liquid. I also highly suggest waiting until you are ready to serve or eat your salad.
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Famous La Scala Salami Chopped Salad {Viral Recipe}
Ingredients
- ½ heart Romaine lettuce
- ½ head Iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup Chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried
- 4 slices Salami
- ½ cup Bocconcini cheese drained and dried
- ½ cup Cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup Roasted red pepper drained and dried
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- Black pepper to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Core the iceberg lettuce by smashing it core-side down on a flat surface. The core should lift right out of the lettuce. Cut the head of iceberg in half, and store half for later use. Cut the remaining half in half once more, and shred the lettuce into thin ribbons.½ head Iceberg lettuce
- Cut a romaine heart in half, and shred into similar-sized ribbons as the iceberg lettuce. Layer both lettuces onto a platter.½ heart Romaine lettuce
- Roughly chop the sliced salami, bocconcini cheese and roasted red peppers. Add onto the shredded lettuce on a platter.4 slices Salami, ½ cup Bocconcini cheese, ¼ cup Roasted red pepper
- Halve the cherry tomatoes, and add to the top of the platter, along with the chickpeas.½ cup Cherry tomatoes, 1 cup Chickpeas
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Put the lid of the mason jar on, and shake to combine. Drizzle the dressing onto the salad just before before serving. Toss, and serve.¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup Red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoon Mustard powder, 1 teaspoon Dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon Red chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon Sea salt, Black pepper
Notes
- Make extra dressing: Keep extra dressing on hand in the fridge for the week! The dressing will keep well in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.
- Marinate the chickpeas: For an extra layer of flavor, drizzle half of the salad dressing onto the chickpeas and allow them to marinate in the dressing. This is more of a traditional way of making this restaurant-style salad.
- You can use a traditional chopped salad method: If you prefer the classic method of chopping everything together, you can absolutely use that method for this recipe.
- Use cold ingredients: This small tip will make all the difference. Cold ingredients will chop up nicely, and will also give you that crisp, refreshing bite that you expect from this salad.
Karolina
I actually tried this salad at the original restaurant, and instantly fell in love with it. This recipe was awesome... I made it for a WFH lunch and it came together quick & hit the spot. Thx
Sunena Anand
We love an easy WFH lunch, for sure! Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Karolina!
Leslie C
This is so delicious! I will make over & over!
Sunena Anand
I am so happy to hear that, Leslie! It's one of my favorites too 🙂