Inspired by the famous La Scala chopped salad, this yummy salad recipe is packed with awesome ingredients and loaded with amazing crunchy textures and flavors thanks to marinated chickpeas, salami, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, Asiago cheese, and a zesty red wine dressing.
Salad might run through my veins like sugar does through those of a baker. Where I hit my real pleasure point is when I make a big daddy salad for a filling lunch or dinner, like my chopped Mexican kale salad or my Greek cobb salad. I live for hearty salads that make a meal. This Italian chopped salad is inspired by one of my favorite salads of all-time, the La Scala Chopped Salad. If you’ve never heard of said salad, you’re missing an institution in the salad legion hall of fame. Okay, I just made that honor up, but all the same, Beverly Hills’ La Scala salad may very well be the Godfather of eating fresh, vibrant foods that has since become known as California cuisine.
The Original: La Scala Chopped Salad
Over the years I’ve done some serious research in discovering the secret to this salad and I think I’ve finally hit the nail on the lettuce head thanks to my adaptation of a recipe from the L.A. Times that is attributed to La Scala’s original recipe which of course, I have never been able to find online, but this one comes close. Is it exact? Probably not, you know how those chef’s can be, all secretive of their recipes. But it comes as close as my memory allows, so I say it’s perfect.
What Is In the La Scala Chopped Salad
There’s just something so satisfying about a chopped salad. They’re hearty and substantial, and won’t cause you to rummage through the snack bin an hour later. Truth be told, chopped salads typically are all about the fixins and less about the the lettuce (but what sets this one apart is using two different lettuces).
Here’s what’s in this Italian chopped salad:
- A zesty red wine and mustardy dressing
- Chickpeas (these get marinated in the dressing above, for extra flavor!)
- Romaine lettuce
- Iceberg lettuce (for that classic crunch)
- Asiago cheese
- Marinated artichoke hearts
- Sundried tomatoes
- Salami — True to La Scala’s original, I added some local salami to the salad and that would be from Utah’s own Creminelli Sausages, specifically their Calabrese from one of my favorite local gourmet stores, Caputo’s Market & Deli.
How Do You Make a Chopped Salad
There may be a fair share of chopping involved, but this salad is a breeze. I’ve given my version of the La Scala salad a more Italian bent, because those are the flavors I crave. Marinated artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes add a sweetness to contrast the vinegary dressing and mash-up perfectly with salami. And the grated Asiago cheese is just the right texture for a salad like this.
- Shake it up. Add your dressing ingredients to a small jar and shake, shake, shake!
- Marinate your chickpeas. Add the chickpeas to a bowl and pour 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing over them. Forget about them for 30 minutes while the flavor bomb magic ensues.
- Chop the lettuces. Not just in ribbons, but in small bite size pieces. La Scala nearly minces there version. I’ve kept mine more in tact.
- Assemble. Add the lettuces and all the yummy fixins to a large bowl, along with half of the reserved dressing. Toss to coat and add more dressing if desired.
Secrets of a Chopped Salad
- Lettuce texture is important here. I use romaine for flavor and Iceberg for major crunch. Leave your delicate herb and spring mixes for another day. This salad requires heft!
- This dressing features dry mustard instead of Dijon, and I think it’s truly the secret ingredient here. The dry mustard gives the dressing a different flavor than when I use standard Dijon and I really like it.
- The dressing serves as a flavor-bomb marinade for this salad’s healthy dose of chickpeas. After 30 minutes of marinating, you’ve completely transformed an otherwise boring can of chickpeas. I love a recipe that works double time.
