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This La Scala Chopped Salad is a celebrity favorite, made famous for its balance of flavors and finely chopped ingredients. Lucky for us, it’s super easy to make this iconic salad at home with simple ingredients like garbanzo beans, crisp lettuce, and salami in a tangy mustard vinaigrette.
Jean Leon, the founder of the La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, created the La Scala Salad in the 1950s. Made with a balance of savory, creamy, and tangy flavors, this consistently delicious chopped salad is loved by both locals and visitors alike, and is even rumored to be a favorite among the Kardashian clan.
Despite its celebrity status, you’ll find that this salad consists of pretty basic ingredients: romaine and iceberg lettuce, chickpeas, salami, shredded mozzarella cheese, and thinly sliced red onion, all tossed in a tangy dijon vinaigrette.
I liken it to an Italian sub sandwich, minus the bread.
Altogether, it takes me about 15 minutes to make this salad. You can buy pre-chopped and washed lettuce, but I find that washing and drying my own lettuce (using a salad spinner) and then storing it in ziplock bags prolongs its freshness.
Once the ingredients are washed and chopped, it’s just a matter of tossing everything together in a bowl. When it’s too hot to cook, I’ll add a little cooked pasta and turn it into a simple and hugely satisfying pasta salad.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
You will find a complete list of ingredients, including measurements, in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Olive oil – Choose an olive oil that you enjoy the taste of. Typically, higher-quality olive oils deliver better taste.
- Red wine vinegar – Red wine vinegar is used to make the vinaigrette, but apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitute.
- Dijon mustard
- Parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning and Black pepper – To season the dressing.
- Lettuce – For this recipe, we’re using both iceberg and romaine lettuce.
- Chickpeas – Drained and rinsed.
- Salami – Original recipes feature dry, cured Italian salami sliced into thin strips. If that’s unavailable, thin deli-style salami will also work.
- Mozzarella cheese – Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese will have the best flavor. Avoid pre-shredded cheese if possible as they’re typically coated in anti-caking powders.
- Red onion – Optional.
Optional Additions
Consider adding one or more of the following: Sliced grilled or oven-baked chicken breasts, Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs, halved cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, pepperoncini, black olives, or fresh lemon juice.
How to Make La Scala Chopped Salad
Start by adding the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to a jar. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until combined. Alternatively, add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a bowl and whisk until blended.
Next, add the chopped lettuce, chickpeas, salami, mozzarella cheese, and sliced onion to a large bowl. Gently toss to combine.
Just before serving, toss the salad with the desired amount of vinaigrette and garnish with a few cracks of black pepper.
Best served immediately with crusty bread, soft dinner rolls, or a slice of sweet cornbread. When I’m serving it for dinner, sometimes I’ll add a cup of butternut squash soup or potato leek soup. It also pairs nicely with a glass of crisp dry white wine or champagne!
Recipe Tips
This famous La Scala Chopped Salad is simple. Consider the following tips to make it taste just like the original from Beverly Hills.
- Chill the ingredients: For the crispest, freshest tasting salad, be sure to refrigerate your chopped romaine, iceberg, chickpeas, and even the salami before assembling. Sometimes I’ll even soak my lettuce in a bowl of ice water for a minute or two, then dry thoroughly using a salad spinner. This helps keep the salad fresh and crunchy.
- Make it ahead (partially): Prepare and store components of this salad ahead of time and keep them stored separately in the fridge. This includes the salad dressing, sliced salami, and shredded cheese. Assemble and dress just before serving for peak texture and flavor (remember to shake the dressing before each use).
- Enjoy immediately: This salad tastes best when it’s tossed in the dressing and served immediately.
Storage and Leftovers
- Serving: This salad is definitely best when served immediately, just after being tossed with the vinaigrette.
- Storage: The vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. The salad can be stored in a separate, airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
More Salad Recipes
If you make this La Scala Chopped Salad Recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
La Scala Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce, (about 4 cups), chopped
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, (about 4 cups), chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (¼-pound) package salami, sliced into strips
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
- 1 small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to a jar or container and cover with an air-tight lid. Shake well to combine.
- Toss the romaine, iceberg, chickpeas, salami, mozzarella, and onion together in a large bowl.
- Just before serving, drizzle the salad with the desired amount of vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- This salad is best served immediately.
- Storage: The vinaigrette can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Shake well before using. The salad can be stored separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
