La Scala Chopped Salad

What is La Scala Chopped Salad

This famous chopped salad is served at a Beverly Hills restaurant called La Scala. If you’ve ever watched any of the Kardashians’ TV shows, you’re probably familiar with the famous sisters’ love for salads.

Rumor has it that this salami chopped salad from La Scala is one of their favorites, and it is even sometimes known as “the Krdashians’ salad”.

According to La Scala’s online menu, the ingredients of this salad include chopped iceberg lettuce, shredded mozzarella, julienned salami, marinated chickpeas and lemon dressing. Sounds pretty simple, no?

Another unique thing about this famous salad is presentation. If you order it in the Beverly Hills restaurant, you will be served the chopped salad as a mount of dressed lettuce, cheese and salami, topped with marinated chickpeas and one single kalamata olive.

Though most of us are not in Beverly Hills and even more of us are NOT a Kardashian, we can all pretend we are thanks to my copycat recipe below, including instructions on how to create the nifty salad mount! 

Why this recipe works

• La Scala Chopped Salad recipe is both glamorous AND super simple, made with easily accessible ingredients
• Fresh, bright and gloriously crunchy with delicious flavors
• Viral recipe that owes up to the hype
• It is low-carb and nutritious
• A great combo of veggies, protein (salami, chickpeas, cheese) and fiber!
• The lemon dressing is super flavorful
• Perfect recipe for a romantic dinner for two, movie night with girlfriends (reality TV night in?) or any gathering·     

Looking for more delicious salad recipes? Try some of our family favorite salad recipes:

The best Lemon Dressing

To make zesty and bright lemon dressing, in a small bowl whisk together freshly squeezed lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Add extra-virgin olive oil in a slow stream and keep whisking until combined.

How to make the viral La Scala chopped salad

Making this salad is super quick and easy. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial.

Step 1: Marinade the chickpeas. Take 2 tablespoons of lemon dressing and pour over canned rinsed and drained chickpeas. Add oregano and red pepper flakes (if using). Give the chickpeas w stir and let them sit in the marinade while you do all the chopping.

Step 2: Chop the lettuce. I like to use a large cutting board and a good sharp knife. Lettuce pieces should be fairly small and uniform size. Transfer to a large bowl.

Expert tip: if you like the idea of chopped salads, you may want to invest in this brilliant OXO Good Grips Salad Chopper With Bowl. It makes making chopped salads a breeze and the salad comes out perfectly divided into bite size pieces.

Step 3: Add cheese and salami. Salami pieces should be quite small so if your salami slices are large, cut them in half and chop into thin strips.

Step 4: Dress the salad. Pour ¾ of  the remaining lemon dressing to the bowl and toss the salad until each piece is coated with dressing. If you like lots of dressing, add the remaining ¼ and toss the salad again.

Step 5: Top with chickpeas and serve immediately!

Note:  If you want to serve the salad La Scala-style, transfer half of the salad in a small bowl (cereal size bowl) and push down with a spoon to help the salad hold the bowl shape. Place a large plate upside down on top of the bowl and flip the bowl and the plate in one quick move. Remove the bowl, top the salad “mount” with chickpeas and serve with one kalamata olive.

Storage suggestions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If making for meal prep, transfer the lemon dressing to a small jar or container, chop all the ingredients, add the chickpeas and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, add the dressing, close the lid of your container and shake Kardashian-style! Serve immediately.

What to serve chopped salad with

This salad is a great meal on its own but if you want to make it as an appetizer or a side dish, consider serving it alongside a delicious protein main, such as these Buffalo Chicken Thighs or these juicy Air Fryer Pork Kebabs. It would also be delicious with sauteed shrimp or grilled fish.

Variations and substitutions

• If you're not a fan of iceberg lettuce, use romaine lettuce instead
• For a more cheesy salad, you can add some grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese to the dressing
• For extra protein, double the amount of salami or add some cooked chicken breast (La Scala restaurant has many versions of their chopped salad with added protein on top, such as chicken or tuna salad)
• To bulk up the salad, you can add chopped cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes or artichoke hearts
• Skip salami all together for a vegetarian version of the famous salad recipe
• Chopped sun-dried tomatoes are a great addition to the chickpea marinade
• If the dressing is too tangy for your taste, you can reduce the amount of lemon juice, swap some of the juice for red wine vinegar, or add half a teaspoon of honey

More healthy 30-minute meal recipes to try

• Chicken Caprese Sheet Pan
• Pesto Tuna Pasta
• Hawaiian Shrimp Poke Bowl
• Low-Carb Mini Pepper Nachos
• Low-Carb Tuna Melt Zucchini Boats