Chef Salad Recipe
This easy chef salad recipe is a delightful combination of garden veggies, meat, cheese, and eggs. Romaine lettuce is mixed with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, green peppers, meat, cheese, and eggs. Then, it’s topped with your dressing of choice to make a delicious salad that’s guaranteed to satisfy.
I love a good salad, and the best salads, in my opinion, are the ones that are loaded with flavor but not work. That’s why I love this chef salad so much. I’ve been making this salad for bunch, lunch, or a light dinner for decades now, and my family has always loved it. It’s a great way to use up veggies if you have a garden, and it’s pretty darn healthy to boot. You can’t beat that!
Chef Salad Recipe
This salad starts with the classic salad lettuce – romaine. Then, I add thinly sliced red onions, cubed cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives, green peppers, sliced meat and cheese, and hard boiled eggs. Sometimes, I even like to add sweet or hot peppers to the mix. It all comes together quickly, and when I’m all done, I have a tasty salad that’s loaded with flavor and perfect for lunch or dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses simple ingredients that you can find in your garden and at your local grocery store.
- It’s an easy, no-fuss salad that’s ready in just minutes.
- It’s a classic salad that everyone always loves.
Ingredients
A quick trip to the store – or your garden, if you have one – is all it takes to get everything you need for this delicious salad. You’ll find the exact quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Romaine lettuce – torn or cut up
- Red onions – thinly sliced
- Cucumbers – cubed
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Olives
- Hard boiled eggs – quartered or halved
- Green peppers – sliced
- Sliced cheese
- Sliced deli meat
- Sweet or hot peppers – optional
- Dressing of choice
How to Make This Easy Chef Salad Recipe
Making this recipe is super simple. Like all chef salads, it comes together in a flash.
Step 1: Construct the Salad
Wash and dry the lettuce, then layer it in a large bowl or platter. Prepare the vegetables and layer them over the lettuce in groups. Then, cut the hard boiled eggs and place them in another section on the lettuce. Finally, cut the meat and cheese into strips and layer them on the lettuce, as well.
Step 2: Enjoy
Drizzle with your favorite dressing and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
- Use your favorite deli meats and cheeses for this recipe.
- You can add any of your favorite veggies to this salad for even more variety.
- Sliced banana peppers are delicious in this recipe.
- Add some croutons for crunch!
Equipment
- Knife, this is the one I just got and love!
- Cutting board for chopping and serving, this is a great one!
Storage
Refrigerator: Store for up to 3 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Make Ahead: You can make this salad a few hours ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, although it’s best when served fresh.
What to Serve with a Chef Salad
This salad makes a great meal all on its own. If you’re serving it as part of a large meal for a crowd, combine it with all your favorite meals like:
- Hamburgers
- Hot dogs
- Steaks and chops
- Chicken
Tips
- Wash and dry all of your vegetables thoroughly to avoid any bacteria.
- Use a sharp knife to cut your vegetables and eggs. This helps prevent injuries.
- If you use hot peppers in your salad, remove the seeds to avoid excessive heat.
More Salad Recipes
If you love making salads, then I have some wonderful recipes for you to try.
FAQ
What is a chef salad?
Chef salad is an American salad made of leafy greens, usually lettuce, hard boiled eggs, meats, cheeses, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Other vegetables may be added.
What is the difference between a garden salad and chef salad?
A garden salad is usually comprised of just greens and vegetables, typically those that can easily be grown in a garden. A chef salad, on the other hand, has added ingredients like eggs, meat, and cheese.
Are chef salads healthy?
On their own, the ingredients in a chef salad are very healthy. How healthy the salad is overall is dependent on what kind of dressing is added. Vinaigrettes add flavor without many addition calories, while creamy dressings add a substantial number of calories and lots of extra fat.
Chef Salad Recipe
This easy chef salad recipe is a delightful combination of garden veggies, meat, cheese, and eggs. Romaine lettuce is mixed with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, green peppers, meat, cheese, and eggs. Then, it’s topped with your dressing of choice to make a delicious salad that’s guaranteed to satisfy.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups Romaine Lettuce, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup sliced cucumbers
- 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2 to 3 hard boiled eggs, cubed or halved
- 1/4 cup olives of choice
- 1 medium green pepper, sliced
- 1/2 pound deli meat(s) of choice
- 4 thinly sliced and then cut into strips, cheese of choice
- a few hot peppers or mild peppers, this is optional
- salad dressing of choice
Instructions
-
Step 1: Construct the Salad
Wash and dry the lettuce, then layer it in a large bowl or platter. (I used a cutting board that I cut the veggies on.) Prepare the vegetables and layer them over the lettuce in groups. Then, cut the hard boiled eggs and place them in another section on the lettuce. Finally, cut the meat and cheese into strips and layer them on the lettuce, as well.
Drizzle with your favorite dressing and enjoy!
Step 2: Enjoy
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you enjoy this Chef Salad Recipe as much as my family and I do.
Please stop by again. There’s so many more recipes to see both savory and sweet. New ones too!
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Bye for now…
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