Dense and Protein Packed, This Chopped Salad Is a Hollywood Classic
The chopped salad from the iconic Italian restaurant La Scala in Beverly Hills went viral before “viral” was a thing. First conjured in the late 1950s, it was designed for Hollywood starlets who asked for the house “gourmet salad” in an easy-eating format so as to avoid soiling their gowns. What started as an off-menu [...] Read More... The post Dense and Protein Packed, This Chopped Salad Is a Hollywood Classic appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.
The chopped salad from the iconic Italian restaurant La Scala in Beverly Hills went viral before “viral” was a thing. First conjured in the late 1950s, it was designed for Hollywood starlets who asked for the house “gourmet salad” in an easy-eating format so as to avoid soiling their gowns. What started as an off-menu special eventually grew so popular with power-lunchers that it became an on-menu staple.
The salad’s now enjoying a stint in the online spotlight thanks to its recontextualization as a high-protein, low-carb alternative to the Italian sub. It’s again fueled by celeb endorsements—though this time, it’s of the Kardashian variety. The recipe is hardly complicated, but online versions are all over the place.
Our interpretation is a recreation of the original, pulled together with info leaked by La Scala owners throughout the years, including a recipe (fascinatingly different from the restaurant’s present-day version) divulged to the Los Angeles Times in 1989.
Chopping everything together helps integrate and intensify the flavors; you’re going for taste, not looks. This hearty salad can be eaten with a spoon, but feel free to make it even heartier by topping with good-quality canned tuna, grilled shrimp, boiled eggs or a thin-pounded chicken paillard.
The La Scala Chopped Salad
Ingredients
Add chickpeas to the dressing in a small bowl and set aside to marinate while preparing the rest of the salad.
On your largest cutting board, chop lettuces very finely.
Add mozzarella and salami and continue chopping to mix and further break down the ingredients. Don’t worry about chopping the cheese and salami too finely; let them remain different sizes, but small enough to admit bits of everything in each bite.
Transfer the marinated chickpeas to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving dressing.
Transfer salad to a large mixing bowl and toss with dressing to taste.
To serve, mound salad on a platter or individual plates. With a spoon, make an indentation in the center of the mound and pile the chickpeas on top.
Serves 4 as a main dish.
Leon Dressing
Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. While whisking, add oil in a thin stream to emulsify, then whisk in the cheese.
Wine Pairing
The salami is the curveball here, bringing a little too much fat and spice for fresh and herbal “salad wines” like Grüner Veltliner and cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc. Instead, choose a white with some body and nutty notes among the fruit—Grenache Blanc (or, in this instance, Garnatxa Blanca, as it is known in the Catalonia region of Spain). In many regions, it’s a low-acid blending grape with a moderate flavor profile used for texture, but in Catalonia, it makes expressive varietal wines that show stone fruit, citrus, dried herb and nutty notes with a food-friendly savory aftertaste.
This article originally appeared in the May 2025 Film issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!
More Salad Recipes
- Love the flavor of Old Bay? Try it in a salad.
- Grilled peaches, arugula and prosciutto come together in this filling summer salad.
- Make your salad a hearty meal with this steak and radicchio recipe.
- Keep this recipe for the perfect spring greens salad in your back pocket.
- We love the sweet zing of the raspberry poppyseed dressing on this salad.
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