This La Scala Chopped Salad features crisp lettuce, salty salami, and a tangy dressing. This Beverly Hills recipe went viral for good reason—it’s fresh, crunchy, hearty, and so delicious. This is just like the original, so you can enjoy it at home!
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.
The La Scala Chopped Salad is a legendary Italian chopped salad created by Chef Jean Leon, owner of the La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills.
This famous salad recipe has been serving Hollywood stars since the 1950s and recently became popular at home thanks to Kim Kardashian and TikTok. Some people even call is the Kim Kardashian salad!
Why I Love This Famous La Scala Chopped Salad
- Fresh ingredients that are easy to customize.
- Just like the original recipe from Beverly Hills.
- So many delicious flavors from the salty salami, rich mozzarella, and tangy dressing ingredients.
- It’s healthy and low carb, but so satisfying.
- It’s hearty enough for lunch on its own and easy to pair with protein.
- You don’t have to be a famous celebrity to enjoy it at home!
Need another salad recipe? Try my shaved brussel sprout salad, cucumber tomato avocado salad, or quinoa salad with feta. And this chicken caesar pasta salad is high protein!
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for this La Scala chopped salad. Jump to recipe for exact measurements.
Dressing
- Olive oil: the base of the salad dressing
- Red wine vinegar: adds zip to balance it all out
- Garlic: use fresh for the best flavor
- Dijon mustard: an emulsifier that helps bring oil and vinegar together.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Pecorino Romano cheese: this is the classic cheese in the original recipe, but you can also use grated parmesan cheese
Salad
- Iceberg and romaine lettuce: for crunch! Thinly shred it for best results.
- Chickpeas: adds fiber and plant-based protein.
- Italian salami: this is different than lunchmeat salami you find at the deli. It comes in a log (not pre-sliced), is hard, and will usually say “dry-aged.” I found it next to the specialty cheese section in our local grocery store. I like Boar’s Head Italian Salame.
- Mozzarella cheese: buy fresh and shred it yourself or use pre-shredded to save time.
How to Make the Famous La Scala Chopped Salad
This is a step-by-step overview of this recipe with photos. Skip to the recipe card for exact measurements.
Make the 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.
Combine It All
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.
Serve and Enjoy!
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.
Quick Tips
- Chop all of the ingredients the same 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.
- Soak the shredded lettuce in ice water for 5 minutes to make it extra fresh and crispy.
- Buy pre-washed and shredded romaine and iceberg lettuce to save time.
- 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.
How to Store
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.
What Else Can I Use?
- Add more Italian ingredients: throw in some sliced red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced bell pepper, pepperoncini.
- Top the salad with grilled chicken breasts or grilled chicken thighs, or serve them on the side.
- Vegetarian: Omit the salami to create a delicious vegetarian chopped salad.
- Make it Greek: Add feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, or cucumbers.
- Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- Pepperoni would be a good substitute for salami.
- The La Scala restaurant uses dry mustard in the dressing, so use that if you prefer!
Famous La Scala Chopped Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
Dressing
- ⅓ 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 and pepper
- ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese or grated parmesan cheese
Salad
- 1 head shredded iceberg lettuce (5-6 cups)
- 1 head shredded romaine lettuce (4-5 cups)
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ lb ((4 ounces) Italian salami thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
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.⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 cloves garlic minced, 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper, ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- To a large bowl, add the shredded lettuce, chickpeas, Italian salami, and mozzarella cheese. Pour the prepared dressing on top and toss to coat.1 head shredded iceberg lettuce, 1 head shredded romaine lettuce, 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, ¼ lb ((4 ounces) Italian salami, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 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.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Small bowl or jar to mix the dressing
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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#whatwemade
#whatwemade
What I did not say was that the salad dressing was very easy to make, taste is a wonderful compliment to the salad ingredients!
Thank you
#whatwemade
I made this salad yesterday and posted a review today that my family LOVED this salad for lunch!
What I did not say was that the salad dressing was very easy to make, taste is a wonderful compliment to the salad ingredients!
Thank you for this great recipe.
Truly is one of the best salads I’ve made. I only put in half of the chick peas because I don’t care for them, but the dressing is the star of the show! So good! #whatwemade
Thanks Carmen!!
Love this salad!
I made this for lunch for my family yesterday!
Everyone enjoyed this salad!
It was one salad that I will serve both a lunch, dinner, or when I’m having guest.
Thank you for sharing
What a great compliment. Thank you so much Jackie!
Love the freshness of this recipe and it is easy to make ahead of mealtime. Great one to throw into the spring meal rotation. Thank you!
#whatwemade
Love it when we make it in the rotation. Thanks Kiely!
I got so many great comments on this salad. It has become one of my go to salads for holidays and get togethers.
Thanks Gina!!
This is the only salad my husband will eat now – it is on constant repeat on our house!!
I love this!! Thank you so much Rebecca!
#whatwemade
I had seen several people mention this salad, so I decided to make it. I was not disappointed.
My family enjoyed it very much, especially the dressing.
Doubled up the dressing so we can have it ready in the fridge. It’s a keeper!
Wow! Thank you Pam! So glad you loved it!
You had me at Pecorino Romano. I left out the chickpeas. We re not fans, but I added grilled chicken to make it a meal. I try to make a “big salad” for dinner at least once per week, and this will be one of my new go-tos in the rotation. #WhatWeMade
Love it when we make it in the rotation. Thanks Dani!
I thought I had red wine vinegar, I did not! I used white wine vinegar in its place and followed all the directions as is. My husband and I both loved the salad. The flavors in the dressing are so good. This will be going into the dinner rotation!
Love it when we make it in the rotation. Thanks Becca!
Admittedly… I got inspired by an episode of the real housewives of NYC (when in LA, obv 🤣) and I came across this recipe. Delish! Even though I ran out of chickpeas and replaced salami with crispy bacon, added some chilli etc. Such a great base to work with – YUM!
Haha that’s so awesome. So glad you loved it Rainy!!
SOOO good! I lived in Beverly Hills for years, but never ordered it at La Scala. Contrary to what you read online, it was famous BEFORE the Kardashians were a “thing!“
So glad you loved it, Judy!
Absolutely delicious. Easy to make and great flavor. I crave it often
Thank you!
Delicious with incredible flavor!
Thanks Rachel!
I added oven “sun dried” tomatoes, it gives it a little burst of chewy sweetness. Delicious!
To much garlic and thats not like me. So next time I will use less garlic. If I make this again.
Totally a personal preference!
How long will dressing keep in the refrigerator if stored in a sealed jar? Thank you!
Up to a week!
This is literally addicting! I roasted the chickpeas for extra cronch, and also added pepperocinis. So gooooood!
Any idea how much of this I need to make for 40 people? Should I double the 18 servings recipe? Thanks!
Hello! I would triple the recipe to be safe. Thanks!
Excellent recipe but no need for the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt; that’s the only change I made.
Thanks, Tillie!
Everyone loved this salad and dressing. Super easy, too!
Glad to hear that!
I love how you present the directions with the list of ingredients listed again!!!
Thanks Leslie!!!
This was very refreshing! We picked up a few pizzas and served this on the side. It was extra delicious on TOP of the pizza. Thank you or sharing!
Thanks so much!
I added a small jar of pimentos for color and warmth!
Ohhh yum!! Sounds amazing. I’m sure everyone will want to try this too!
I made this salad tonight for dinner and both myself and my husband loved it. I made it exactly as it was written and I think it turned out perfect. It was super easy as well.
Such an easy recipe to follow and throw together! I loved the mustard but my kids thought it was too much so I add a tablespoon of honey to the dressing. Followed other recommendations to add peperoncini and thought it was a great addition. Will definitely make this again!
Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!
So tasty.
Should you refrigerate the dressing or will it clump?
It can clump but if you let it sit out a bit and shake it well it’s fine!
I love the crunch of this chopped salad. Ingredients are easy to find. I followed recipe exactly as published here. I used the Dijon mustard. I think next time I would use the mustard seed or no mustard because I found the dijon strong and maybe use lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar for a lighter dressing. I only used a little dressing and my salad portion was evenly coated. Really satisfying. Thinking crushed pistachios or pine nuts would add extra crunch. Great salad to bring to a friend or outdoor function because the ingredients and dressing can all be made in advance and put together in minutes.
Crushed pistachios would be amazing in this! Thanks for sharing, Carolyn!
Delicious! I made this for a potluck and it was a crowd favorite. Several friends asked for the recipe. I’m not a mustard fan, so I reduced the Dijon to one tsp and added a pinch of oregano to the dressing.
Thank you! Love that!
I have fond memories of eating this at Emilio’s Presto Trattoria in Encino. Emilio had been the chef at La Scala. Thanks for posting. I still have my print copy from the LA Times SOS recipe column decades ago. Cheers!
Love that! Amazing how food takes us back to memories.
So good! I’ve made it twice already. I let the chickpeas marinade in the dressing while I prep the other ingredients. The recipe makes 6 servings. How much would say is in a serving approximately?
Thanks, Mao! I haven’t measured out exactly how many each serving is. I didn’t measure out each serving, but I’d love to know if you do this so I can share with everyone!
Each serving is 2.5 cups of salad! I added thinly sliced red onions. Delicious!
Thanks!!
Replace the red wine vinegar with lemon juice, preferably fresh squeezed. The red wine vinegar has two strong of a taste. The lemon juice is much lighter and makes for a better salad.
Thanks, Jennifer! I did a lot of research on this and kept it as close to the original in the restaurant as possible. I love the tang of the vinegar:) But lemon juice would be super delish too!
This salad is outstanding! Use high quality meat and freshly grated cheeses for the best result. My whole family loved it.
Love these tips, Denise! You are so right. Glad you loved it!