Classic Chef Salad

I love to have a salad as a meal, which includes adding some protein and for me also means topping it off with a rich and creamy dressing. Not like on a side salad where you might want a light dressing. I also love a composed salad, and a chef salad is both of those things. After including the classic ingredients of ham, egg and cheese, this is what I call a choose your own adventure, salad. You can use whatever ingredients that you want. Another thing I like about a chef salad is being able to use up some leftover veggies from the fridge.

And don’t get a chef salad confused with a Cobb salad. They are very similar though. A Cobb salad usually has blue cheese, chicken, and a lighter dressing. To me, a chef salad normally has ham or other deli meat and cheddar cheese with a creamier dressing. One thing they both have in common is boiled egg, and they both can include other vegetables.

Chef salad has a history that some say dates back to the 17th century; others say it started in the 1940s at the Ritz Carlton hotel in New York City. No matter when it started, pull out all those leftover fresh veggies, deli meat, and slice or dice up a couple of boiled eggs, whip up a creamy dressing and you are ready to make a chef salad. With using up some leftover ingredients, this is an economical dish to make. So let’s get started!

Tips:

When making this salad, I would make it right before serving. This is not a good salad to make ahead.
If you include avocado on your salad, I would sprinkle acidulated water (water with a little lime juice or lemon juice added to some water) on your avocado, so it doesn’t turn dark.
This is a good opportunity to use up any leftover fresh vegetables that might have in the fridge.
When prepping your vegetables, you will have to decide in what order you want to add the vegetables to the salad. You will need less of the ingredients that will be right next to the edge of the bowl and more of the ingredients in the middle rows. I made a little extra of each ingredient to add as needed after plating the salad.
I add the dressing to each individual plate or bowl of salad and not to the whole salad.
After serving the salad and dressing each serving, each person can chop their salad and incorporate the dressing into the salad.
For those who want them, croutons can be added after serving. I like the added crunch.

Ingredients:

Here are the main ingredients:

Lettuce: For a classic chef salad, I like to use shredded Romaine lettuce. Shredded iceberg or spring mix salad can also be used.

Ham: I already had a smoked ham, so I diced some and used that on the salad. I have also used honey ham or the packaged diced ham you can get at the store. No matter what ham you, use it can be diced or if using deli ham it can be cut into ribbons.

Cheese: I used shredded sharp cheddar cheese, but cheese cut into cubes could be used.

Egg: Classic chef salad has chopped hard boiled egg.

Other ingredients can be your choice. Here is what I used:

Avocado: I chose one that was ripe, but not too soft. It needs to be firm enough to dice and to hold its shape while putting it on the salad.

Red Onion: I used red onion diced small. I like red onion in salad for the color and flavor.

Cucumber: I added diced cucumber for additional color and for the lighter flavor.

Bacon: I used bacon bits, but chopped bacon can also be used.

Dressing: I make a honey mustard dressing made with yellow mustard, a grainy mustard. And honey.

Tomato: I used diced roma tomato with a firm texture.

Instructions:

In addition to ham, cheese, and egg, choose the ingredients that you want to use on the salad and in what order. Or, you can arrange the ingredients in pie shape sections that all meat in the middle and don’t have to be as composed.
Prepare your ingredients: Dice or cut the ham into ribbons (if using thinner deli ham); dice the cucumber, tomato, avocado, and red onion. Chop the hard boiled eggs, and chop the bacon unless using packaged store bought bacon bits. Grate or cut up the cheese into cubes unless using packaged shredded or diced cheese. Shred the romaine lettuce or whatever other lettuce being used.
In a medium serving bowl, add the lettuce not quite up to the top leaving room for all the toppings and level for the other ingredients to be arranged on a level surface.
Arrange each ingredient in a row across the surface of the salad. Keeping in mind in what order you want what color of ingredients. Keep all the extra ingredients that you might have leftover for adding to the individual plates or bowls of salad. What is arranged on top might not be enough ingredients for all the individual salads…..in my experience.
Add dressing to each serving after plating, and not to the whole salad. Then each person can chop their salad on their plate and incorporate the dressing.
Croutons can also be added to each plate, but is optional. I like adding croutons to my plate of salad. I like the added crunch. Enjoy!

Serving suggestions:

Make this salad close to time of service and not ahead of time. I think it is best served fresh.
I would serve this salad on plates so people can chop their salad more easily if they want to chop their salad.
Have a bowl of extra dressing available for those that want to add extra dressing
The ingredients don’t have to be arranged in rows, they can be arranged less formally.
Any creamy dressing can be used that you like, such as honey mustard that I use, ranch, or thousand island.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

*The amount of each topping ingredient will vary depending on where it is placed in the bowl. Shorter rows needing less and longer rows needing more and the size of the serving bowl that you are using to compose this salad. Put the ingredients that you want less of on the shorter rows closer to the edges of the bowl. I added red onion, bacon bits, and avocado as the shorter rows closer to the sides of the bowl in composing my salad. I would start with a ½ cup of each of the following in small bowls or containers and prep more as needed. Have extra of each ingredient to add to the salads as they are plated. I found that there wasn't enough of each ingredient on the salad when the salads were plated.

Here is what I used in the salad:

A base of shredded romaine

Diced red onion

Bacon bits or chopped bacon

Diced cucumber

Diced ham

Shredded or diced cheddar cheese

Diced tomato

2 Chopped eggs

Diced avocado

Croutons (optional)

For the honey mustard dressing:

Here are the ratios: You can measure using a smaller or larger spoon depending on how much dressing that you need.

3 heaping spoons of mayo

2 spoons of yellow mustard

2 spoons of stone ground or dijon mustard

2 spoons of honey

1 small spoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (Optional)

Directions:

Prep all your ingredients going on top of the salad (detailed instructions above)
Prepare the dressing, taste and adjust as needed, cover, and refrigerate until needed
Shred the romaine lettuce
Add the lettuce to the bowl not quite up to the top of the serving bowl and level.
Add each ingredient to the top in a rows
Plate each serving and add dressing
Each person can add croutons and chop their salad if desired.
Enjoy!

Notes:

Don’t stress over quantities, just prepare more of an ingredient as needed.
Leftovers of this salad can be kept for a couple of days (without dressing on it) in a sealed container especially if you coated your diced avocado in acidulated water (lemon or lime water). If not, you might have to take out the avocado if they (the pieces of diced avocado) turn dark.
Store the dressing in a separate closed container for up to three days. Don’t make my mistake by making too much dressing and then not using it. The extra dressing can be used as dip for chicken nuggets or popcorn chicken.
That made me think. This salad would be good with cut up pieces of popcorn chicken on it.

Conclusion:

Even though this salad involves a lot of prep work in preparing all of the ingredients and composing the salad, it is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it as well and feel tree to get creative and choose whatever ingredients that you like! This recipe was brought to you by Lisa Ward, the Cowtown Deal Hunter. I was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas where I live today with my kids. Bye y’all!

A salad that can be eaten as a meal with a rich, creamy, and tangy dressing.