Welcome to the world of restaurant recipe recreations! Today, we have something special in store for you. Get ready to learn how to create one of the most beloved salads from the renowned La Scala restaurant. Trust me, this is a salad you won’t be able to resist.

Recreating a Legend

La Scala’s Chopped Salad is a true masterpiece. Trust me when I say that I’ve had this salad countless times over the years. As someone who worked for this steakhouse chain for a decade, I practically lived on it. And now, I’m excited to share the secrets of this amazing salad with you.

Let’s Get Started!

To begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While that’s heating up, let’s prepare the star of our salad: bacon. I prefer cooking bacon in the oven for a mess-free and evenly cooked experience. Place four slices of thick-cut bacon in the oven until crispy. You won’t believe the aroma that fills your kitchen!

Next up, let’s move on to the crispy fried onions. These delightful delights are what take this salad to another level. Begin by thinly slicing your onions and soaking them in buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, regular milk works too. Add a dash of Crystal hot sauce for a little kick. This soak will soften the onions and infuse them with flavor.

While the onions soak, let’s prepare the base of the salad. Start with a large mixing bowl. Add four cups of julienned iceberg lettuce, half a cup of julienned radicchio, and half a cup of julienned baby spinach. Thinly slice a quarter cup of red onion and add it to the bowl. Don’t forget to include half a can of hearts of palm, two diced hard-boiled eggs, and three ounces of diced white button mushrooms.

But we’re not done yet! This salad is all about the toppings. Add a fourth of a cup of sliced green olives (I highly recommend the Mezzetta Castelvetrano olives for their flavor), half a cup of crumbled blue cheese, and two-thirds of a cup of croutons. Give it all a good mix, and pop it in the refrigerator to keep it nice and chilled.

Time for Dressing and Crispy Onions

Now, it’s time to prepare the star dressing of our La Scala Chopped Salad. In a bowl, whisk together one cup of mayonnaise, one cup of sour cream, a fourth of a cup of fresh julienned basil, salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. Remember, only the best mayonnaise will do, and that means Duke’s mayonnaise!

Let’s not forget about those crispy fried onions we prepared earlier. To create the perfect coating for the onions, mix equal parts cornmeal and all-purpose flour in a bowl. Add salt and cracked black pepper for flavor. Drain the onions from the buttermilk mixture and coat them evenly in the dredge. Heat a stainless steel pan with canola oil and fry the onions until golden and crispy. Drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.

It’s Showtime!

Now that all the elements are ready, it’s time to bring the La Scala Chopped Salad together. Add the dressing to the salad mixture and toss until everything is well coated. For an authentic touch, you can mold the salad by filling a dish to the top, tamping it down, and then carefully flipping it onto a serving plate.

Garnish your masterpiece with the crispy fried onions, halved cherry tomatoes, and any other toppings your heart desires. And just like that, you have created a La Scala Chopped Salad that rivals the original.

El Reno Ok