This easy-to-customize Italian Chopped Salad is a homemade take on La Scala’s iconic dish! Using simple ingredients, this salad focuses more on the method than the specific components, allowing you to make it delicious with any of your favorite ingredients! Complete with a homemade dressing to top it off!
What is an Italian Chopped Salad?
An Italian Chopped Salad is a flavorful and vibrant dish typically made with a variety of fresh ingredients chopped into bite-sized pieces. It’s known for its bold, Italian-inspired flavors and often includes a mix of vegetables, meats, cheeses, and a tangy dressing. Today I’m recreating this dish from a super popular restaurant called La Scala.
The beauty of this hearty salad is its versatility. You can mix and match ingredients to suit your taste, making it a perfect customizable meal.
What Makes This Recipe Great
La Scala’s Italian Chopped Salad is an iconic dish renowned by celebrities and patrons from all over. The salad has earned a reputation for its fresh, high-quality ingredients and well-balanced flavors. Each bite offers a delightful mix of crisp lettuce, savory meats, tangy cheese, and zesty dressing–all finely chopped. It’s easy to customize and has been popular for so long (and rightfully so!).
I’ve been enjoying the La Scala Chopped Salad for decades and have never ordered anything else at the restaurant (it’s one of my favorite things!). Sometimes I customize it with different ingredients, but the key is to chop everything really well! My version of their salad is this delicious and easy-to-customize Italian Chopped Salad with a zesty red wine vinaigrette. It’s an easy recipe to recreate in your home kitchen without the fancy restaurant price tag.
I wanted to show you a unique way to serve a chopped salad by plating it over white bean hummus. However, if you prefer the classic chopped salad, simply add a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) instead of the hummus. Both ways offer delicious flavor, the hummus just adds a little bit of flair. Customize this salad your way, and enjoy every bite!
Ingredient Notes
Dressing Ingredients
- unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- dry mustard powder
- garlic
- sea salt
- black pepper or to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese
Salad
- head of iceberg lettuce
- head of Romaine lettuce
- Italian dry salami: Personally, I don’t eat salami, so I substitute turkey instead. You can use good quality deli turkey or ask for a thick slice of in-house roasted turkey from many markets to chop for the salad. Feel free to substitute any protein you like!
- fresh mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese: You can use shredded cheese or mozzarella balls, whichever you prefer.
- optional add-ins: Red onion slices, Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, black or kalamata olives.
White Bean Hummus
- cans of white beans
- tahini
- garlic cloves
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- sea salt
- ice water
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the dressing by combining all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl or screw-top jar until emulsified. Makes about 1 cup.
- In a food processor, blend the white beans until it forms a paste. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and process until combined. Add the ice water and blend until completely smooth—taste for seasoning.
- Spread the white bean hummus over a platter or shallow bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the salad ingredients with enough dressing to coat lightly and mound over the hummus.
Expert Tips
- You can customize this salad with any delicious ingredients as desired. Some good options include red onion, Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, black or kalamata olives, red peppers, banana peppers, or any other raw veggies for extra crunch.
- The dressing is easy to make and stores well for up to a week. Use it for another Italian salad recipe or add additional dressing to your chopped salad as desired.
Serving & Storage Tips
Serve this Italian chopped salad as a main course or side salad. It goes well with pasta dishes, a side of garlic bread, or by itself!
This salad is best served right away if tossed as the crunchy lettuce will lose its texture over time. To make the salad ahead of time, I recommend storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Store the dressing in a separate container and toss when ready to serve.
More Salad Recipes
Grilled Halloumi Salad with Sumac Dressing
Montauk Lobster Cobb Salad (Duryea’s Copycat)
The Best Wedge Salad with Creamy Dressing
Roasted Beet Greek Salad Recipe
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Italian Chopped Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper , or to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- White bean hummus:
- 2 15- oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed (about 3 ¼ cups beans)
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup ice water
- Salad:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, finely chopped
- 1 head Romaine, finely chopped
- 1/4 pound Italian salami, julienned or roasted turkey, chopped
- 1/4 pound mozzarella or provolone cheese, shredded
- Additional add-ins that work well: shaved red onion, diced cucumber, diced tomato, olives
Instructions
- Make the dressing by combining all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl or screw top jar until emulsified. Makes about 1 cup.
- In a food processor, blend the white beans until it forms a paste. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and process until combined. Add the ice water and blend until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning.
- Spread the white bean hummus over a platter or shallow bowl.
- In a large bowl, toss the salad ingredients with enough dressing to coat lightly and mound over the hummus.
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