Chef’s Salad

Article by Emily Saladino

If you’re under the impression that green salads aren’t filling enough to be a main course, this chef’s salad recipe presents a strong counterargument. A hearty combination of crunchy greens, sliced meats and cheeses and chopped veggies, this dish is a classic for good reason. Our test kitchen recipe developers give this American favorite its due and provides step-by-step instructions and ingredients substitutions so you can customize your creation and make a cafe-worthy chef’s salad recipe at home.

What Is a Chef’s Salad?

A chef’s salad is an American dish that combines lettuces with chopped or sliced vegetables and proteins like smoked turkey, roast beef and hard-boiled eggs.

The meaty salad has mysterious origins. Some historians believe it was invented by Louis Diat, the French American chef who worked at Manhattan’s Ritz Carlton hotel for more than 40 years, was passionate about vegetables and is credited with introducing New Yorkers to vichyssoise, too. Others argue that cooks have made salads with meats for centuries, and chef’s salad recipes are simply a 20th-century American iteration of France’s salades composées or the United Kingdom’s salmagundi, a 17th-century creation that repurposed leftover cooked meats and vegetables into hearty salads.

Chef’s Salad Ingredients and Substitutions

Like many American dishes, chef’s salad recipes vary by region and even household. Here’s how to make this classic chopped salad your own.

Lettuces. The Food Network Kitchen team loves the way that crisp Boston, Bibb, green and red leaf lettuces complement the rich flavors of this chef’s salad recipe. You can use a combination of lettuces for a crunchy, colorful mixture, too.

Sliced meats. Use a combination of quality meats. Our test kitchen prefers sliced roast beef, baked ham and smoked turkey, chicken or duck. However, you can use only one of these meats or substitute smoked tofu or thinly sliced cooked trumpet or portobello mushrooms to make a vegetarian chef’s salad recipe.

Sliced cheese. Food Network Kitchen likes how the nutty flavor of Swiss cheese complements this meaty salad, but you can also substitute Gruyere, Havarti or another firm, mild cheese.

Hard-boiled eggs. Our recipe developers quarter hard-boiled eggs because that size and texture is sturdy enough to toss into the chopped salad without crumbling. To make perfect hard-boiled eggs, put the eggs in a pot, cover them with water and bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat and leave the eggs covered for 12 minutes. Once they’re cool enough to touch, peel and quarter them. Not a hard-boiled egg fan? Leave them out! Your chef’s salad recipe will still be delicious.

Chopped vegetables. Halved cherry or grape tomatoes, diced avocado and sliced cucumbers are typically included in chef’s salad recipes, but you can leave any or all of them out or substitute other veggies. Try corn kernels (defrosted if frozen), leftover half-moons of cooked squash or thinly sliced bell peppers.

How to Cut the Ingredients for a Chef’s Salad Recipe

Our recipe developers cut the meats and cheeses for this chef’s salad recipe into thin matchstick pieces that’s also called a julienne cut. This way, the pieces are small enough that they can be speared with a fork and eaten in one bite with the veggies, but not so tiny that they’re overpowered by the dressing or other chopped salad components.

If you want to learn how to make this cut like a professional chef, check out our guide, How to Julienne Cut. Otherwise, aim to cut your meats and cheeses into thin, evenly-sized pieces that are about 2-inches long and 1/8 inch thick.

Easy Salad Dressing Recipes for Chef’s Salads

You can top your chef’s salad recipe with a tangy vinaigrette, creamy ranch and more. Here are some of our favorite easy salad dressing recipes from Food Network Kitchen.

Vinaigrette recipe. Garlic, Dijon mustard and tangy vinegar give this classic vinaigrette recipe enough bite to stand up to the rich chef’s salad ingredients.

Blue cheese vinaigrette. Stir crumbled blue cheese into a red wine vinaigrette for a creamy option with lots of flavor.

Ranch dressing. This homemade ranch dressing recipe has lots of tang, thanks to mayo, creamy buttermilk and tart white vinegar.