How to Make the La Scala Chopped Salad for One
Sharing my version of the La Scala Chopped Salad Recipe! But instead of making a giant salad, I’m sharing how I prep the ingredients to make individual salads throughout the week that won’t get soggy! This is a great way to make a salad for one person or meal prep for the week ahead.
The La Scala Chopped Salad
The La Scala Chopped Salad is a super famous salad that was created in the 1950s by Chef Jean Leon at La Scala in Beverly Hills.
The salad gained popularity as a signature dish at the restaurant. It includes finely chopped lettuce, salami, mozzarella cheese and chickpeas all tossed with a vinaigrette dressing. Over the years, it has become a staple in many restaurants and is often considered a classic American-Italian dish.
Fast forward to current day, it’s now a “celebrity favorite salad” and is all over TikTok. I found a version of the recipe on Pinterest years ago and have been making a version of it ever since!
My Version of the La Scala Chopped Salad for One Person
Most of the salad recipes I find are huge and make enough to feed a village, which is great but not convenient when you’re trying to make food for one or two people. So rather than make a giant salad that gets sad and wilted in the refrigerator, I prep the ingredients and store them separately so I can make them in batches.
Salad Ingredients
- 1 head of iceberg letttuce – sliced super thin
- 1 head of romaine lettuce – sliced super thin
- 1 can of garbanzo beans – rinsed and drained
- 8 oz of salami (about 1/2 a 15 oz package) – sliced super thin
- 1 block of mozzarella cheese (about 1 lb) – shredded
- 1 wedge of pecorino romano cheese (about 7 oz) – grated
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 tbs red wine vinegar
- 4-6 cloves of garlic – minced or pressed
- 3 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
Salad Prep Notes
- I like to pre shred my lettuce & store it in ziplock bags that are ready to go. I’ll line 4 quart sized bags with paper towels to help keep it fresh.
- Combine the garbanzo beans & salami and store in a container. Alternatively, you can portion into 4 grab and go bags. These can be stored together and won’t get soggy.
- You can buy pre shredded cheese, but I think it tastes better and kind of melts into the salad if you shred it yourself. I store them separately, but you can always store in 4 portioned containers. I don’t measure, I just do a decent handful of mozzarella & a large “pinch” of romano. In the OG recipe, the romano is added to the dressing, but I find that it gets clumpy when it’s stored, so I add it in later.
- Make your dressing in jar (I have a little dressing shaker I use that also has measurements). You can also use a mason jar or a small Tupperware container. I don’t measure, but it’s about 2 tablespoons off dressing per salad.
- For variation, I’ll use hot salami or even sliced pepperoni. For added protein, I add chicken.
La Scala Chopped Salad for One Person
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 1 head of iceberg letttuce – sliced super thin
- 1 head of romaine lettuce – sliced super thin
- 1 can of garbanzo beans – rinsed and drained
- 8 oz of salami about 1/2 a 15 oz package – sliced super thin
- 1 block of mozzarella cheese about 1 lb – shredded
- 1 wedge of pecorino romano cheese about 7 oz – grated
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 tbs red wine vinegar
- 3 tbs Dijon vinegar
- 4-6 cloves of garlic – minced or pressed
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- You can easily make this salad as one giant batch, but these instructions will allow you to make 4 individual servings. I recommend prepping all of the ingredients ahead of time and storing them in airtight containers or sealable bags.
- Slice your salami into thin ribbons. Rinse and drain your can of garbanzo beans. Combine both ingredients in a container.
- Shred and grate your cheeses & store in an airtight container.
- Shred (slice thinly) your lettuce and store in an airtight container or bag.
- Make your dressing by combining the ingredients and adding salt and pepper to taste. Store in a separate container.
- When you’re ready to serve, put 1/4 amount of the lettuce in a bowl & top with 1/4 of the salami/garbanzo bean mixture. Top with a handful of mozzarella and large pinch of romano cheese. Add about 2 tablespoons of dressing. Toss & serve!
Want my all time most visited celebrity recipe? Check out the original Jennifer Aniston Salad Recipe post!
