Amazing La Scala Chopped Salad in 15 Min

Sometimes you just need a salad that actually fills you up, right? Forget those sad little side salads that wilt if you look at them wrong! I’m talking about a crisp, satisfying main event. And let me tell you, when it comes to a chopped salad that genuinely tastes like a treat every single time, nothing beats the recipe for the original La Scala Chopped Salad. I’ve made this probably a hundred times over the years—it’s my secret weapon for when guests drop by last minute. It’s ridiculously simple; no fussing with tons of fussy vegetables, just perfect, balanced flavors. This post is going to break down exactly how I make it so you can nail that authentic taste perfectly too!

Why This La Scala Chopped Salad Recipe Stands Out

Honestly, I keep coming back to this salad because it never lets me down. It’s the definition of what a reliable weeknight dinner should be, but it tastes like something you’d actually pay good money for at a fancy deli. It’s ridiculously simple; no fussing with tons of fussy vegetables, just perfect, balanced flavors. You are going to love how quickly this comes together! If you’re ever looking to improve your general kitchen skills, I keep a list of great general advice over here at baking tips to make you a better baker, which actually applies well to prepping veggies too!

• It’s ready in fifteen minutes flat—seriously, that includes chopping!
• The balance of salty Parmesan and creamy mozzarella is just perfection.
• The simple red wine vinaigrette tastes so much brighter than those bottled dressings.

Quick Preparation for the La Scala Chopped Salad

When I say quick, I mean it. The total time on this masterpiece is only about fifteen minutes, start to finish. If you’re looking for a satisfying lunch or dinner that doesn’t require you to stand over a a stove looking grumpy, this is your answer. Grab your sharpest knife, and we’re ready to roll!

Authentic Flavor Profile of the La Scala Chopped Salad

What makes this special isn’t complexity; it’s the execution of simplicity. We are aiming for that perfect bite where you get the satisfying crunch of the romaine mixed with salty pops of Parmesan and the mild creaminess of the cheese cubes. The real hero, though, is the vinaigrette—that dried oregano and red wine vinegar combo just wakes everything up. Trust me, this is the flavor combo you want.

Gathering Ingredients for the Perfect La Scala Chopped Salad

Okay, before we even touch a cutting board, let’s talk about what you need! The beauty of this La Scala Chopped Salad is that the ingredient list is short, which means every single item has to pull its weight. We aren’t hiding anything behind complicated sauces here. Now, if you ever get stuck on needing substitutions for things like buttermilk—which isn’t in this, but is good to know—I’ve got a handy guide on how to make buttermilk substitutions just sitting there for you.

Salad Base and Add-ins for La Scala Chopped Salad

This is where most of the flavor and texture comes from! Since we are chopping everything, make sure your knife is sharp so you get clean pieces instead of bruised lettuce. You need one full head of romaine lettuce, and yes, it must be chopped up small—this is key for the whole vibe of the salad.

For the cheese, we need two types, which is non-negotiable for me. Get your mozzarella and cube it up into nice little bite-sized pieces. Then, you want plenty of Parmesan, because that salty goodness needs to sprinkle everywhere, so grate it fresh if you can!

If you want to make this a full meal, go ahead and grab about a half cup of cooked chicken breast, also chopped small. If you skip the chicken, congratulations, you’ve got a fantastic vegetarian version ready to go!

• Romaine lettuce: One whole head, chopped until it’s tiny!
• Mozzarella cheese: Half a cup, cubed.
• Parmesan cheese: About a quarter cup, grated.
• Cooked Chicken Breast: Half a cup, chopped (optional, but great for dinner!).

Vinaigrette Components for the La Scala Chopped Salad Dressing

The dressing is where we add that signature zing. It’s so much better when you make it yourself, and it takes ninety seconds flat. The best part is the simplicity of the ingredients—no weird sweeteners or stabilizers here. We are just whisking things together.

You absolutely need red wine vinegar to get that specific tartness. A half cup of good quality olive oil is what brings it all together and coats those lettuce pieces perfectly. Don’t skimp on the oil; it makes the mouthfeel lovely. Finally, we finish it off with basic seasonings.

Don’t forget the dried oregano! That herbaceous note is what sets this vinaigrette apart from a standard Italian dressing. A little salt and pepper balance everything out nicely.

• Red Wine Vinegar: A quarter cup.
• Olive Oil: Half a cup.
• Dried Oregano: Just one teaspoon, dried is perfect here.
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: To taste, but I use about half a teaspoon of salt to start.

Essential Equipment for Making La Scala Chopped Salad

This is the best part about my love for the La Scala Chopped Salad: you don’t need a single fancy gadget. Seriously! I know some recipes make you pull out the mandolines and food processors, but not this one. This salad relies on simple, clean movements, and just a couple of reliable bowls.

If you have these three basic things, you are golden. Having the right tools ready keeps the chopping process moving smoothly, which means you get to eat faster. Isn’t that the whole point?

• A Very Large Mixing Bowl: You need space, trust me! When you toss everything—the lettuce, the cheese, and the dressing—you want room to move the ingredients around without knocking half of it onto your counter. Make sure it’s big enough to really get in there and toss.
• A Small Bowl (or Jar): This is strictly for the dressing. You need somewhere to whisk those ingredients until they look perfectly emulsified and lovely. If you use a jar with a tight lid, bonus points—just shake it like crazy, and you skip the whisking step entirely!
• A Whisk (or Fork): If you use the small bowl, you’ll want a decent whisk to combine the oil and vinegar properly. If you’re using a jar, a fork works fine for scrambling the salt and oregano in before the liquids go in, but a dedicated whisk makes the vinaigrette so much silkier.

That’s it! No electric mixers needed for this one. Just good old-fashioned elbow grease for the chopping and a couple of humble bowls for mixing things up. See? Easy!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Your La Scala Chopped Salad

Now that we have all our beautiful, freshly chopped ingredients ready, it’s time for the assembly line! This is where everything comes together, and honestly, if you can follow directions for assembling a sandwich, you can nail this salad. We need to keep the solid stuff separate from the liquid stuff until the very, very last minute, otherwise, we’ll end up with soggy lettuce, and nobody wants that sad outcome. Follow these steps precisely, and your La Scala Chopped Salad will be perfect!

Preparing the Salad Components for La Scala Chopped Salad

Step one is all about consolidation! Take that big bowl you set aside—the extra-large one, remember?—and toss in everything that isn’t dressing. That means all your crisp romaine lettuce, those lovely cubes of mozzarella, the sharp Parmesan shavings, and if you’re having it with meat, add your chopped chicken breast in there too.

Just gently mix those ingredients together with your hands or a couple of big spoons a few times. You aren’t trying to break anything down; you just want them distributed evenly in the bowl so when you pour the dressing on, everything gets hit nicely. That’s it for this part. Don’t add the dressing yet!

Creating the Tangy Vinaigrette

Next up, we focus on making the star flavor component. Head over to your small bowl—or grab that jar if you went the shaking route! Measure out your red wine vinegar, pour in the olive oil, and sprinkle in that dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Remember, the olive oil and vinegar don’t naturally want to mix; that’s how oil and water rolls!

You have to whisk it really well until it thickens up a little bit. This is called emulsification, and it’s important because you want the dressing to cling to the lettuce instead of just pooling sadly at the bottom of your bowl. Whisk hard and fast for about 30 seconds until it looks creamy, not separated. You can sneak a little taste here to make sure the salt is right, but remember it needs to balance out all that cheese!

Combining and Serving the La Scala Chopped Salad

This is the moment of truth! Take that beautifully emulsified vinaigrette and pour it right over the top of your big bowl of chopped salad components. Don’t just drizzle it on one spot; try to spread it around gently, aiming for even distribution across the top of the lettuce pile.

Now, toss everything together! And I mean *toss*. Use those big spoons or your hands again and really work those ingredients around until every little piece of lettuce and cheese looks shiny and evenly coated with that lemony-tangy dressing. The absolute most important thing about the La Scala Chopped Salad is that you serve it right away. Once the dressing hits, that romaine starts to wilt, and we want maximum crunch. If you want to learn more about basic mixing techniques, I put together some thoughts on mixing techniques that make every recipe better, which covers why mixing fast at the end is crucial here.

Tips for Success When Making La Scala Chopped Salad

It’s one thing to follow directions, but to make this La Scala Chopped Salad genuinely great every time? That takes a few insider tricks that I’ve learned over the years. Once you master these small details, you’ll never have a floppy or under-dressed salad again, I promise. These little bits of experience are what turn basic ingredients into something truly restaurant-worthy. If you’re curious about how general kitchen skills stack up, I mentioned earlier where you can check out some general helpful kitchen tips that really apply here, too!

The Importance of Consistent Chopping for La Scala Chopped Salad

You’ve seen the name: *Chopped* Salad. The texture is everything! If your lettuce pieces are big chunks while your cheese cubes are tiny pebbles, you’re going to get uneven flavor distribution. Some bites will be all cheese, and others will just be plain lettuce. We don’t want that drama!

Take your time when you are chopping your romaine. You’re aiming for pieces that are all roughly the same size, maybe half an inch to an inch max. Uniformity is king here! When every piece is the same size, the dressing coats everything equally, and you get that perfect, satisfying mix of crunch, cheese, and tang in every single forkful. It’s worth the extra minute of chopping, trust me!

Dressing Application for the La Scala Chopped Salad

This is probably the most common mistake people make with any massive mixed salad: they drown it! That beautiful vinaigrette is potent, and you can always add more dressing, but you can never take it away once it soaks into the lettuce. Once that happens, the crispness is gone forever, and we’ve worked too hard to keep that romaine crunchy!

My rule is to pour in about two-thirds of the dressing I whisked up. Then, I toss it gently. If after that first toss, you see bits of dry lettuce peeking through, add a tiny bit more from the remaining dressing. Stop as soon as everything looks shiny and coated. You want it moistened, not swimming. Save the rest just in case you want an extra drizzle right before serving, but always dress lightly first. This technique guarantees maximum crunch for your La Scala Chopped Salad!

Variations and Substitutions for Your Chopped Salad

While this recipe for the La Scala Chopped Salad is classic for a reason, I absolutely love when people start experimenting once they nail the base recipe. Sometimes you don’t have chicken on hand, or maybe you’re having vegetarians over for dinner! It’s designed to be flexible while keeping that tangy vinaigrette vibe intact. I always encourage people to make recipes their own. If you’re looking for other ways to mix up your salad game entirely, check out my thoughts on a great herb and tomato salad for ideas!

Making the La Scala Chopped Salad Vegetarian

This one is super straightforward, so don’t sweat it if you aren’t into meat or just ran out of leftover chicken. To make this particular La Scala Chopped Salad completely vegetarian, you literally just skip the chicken! That’s it. The salad is still incredibly satisfying because you still have all those lovely textures from the crisp romaine, the creamy mozzarella, and the sharp Parmesan.

If you want to boost the bulk once you remove the chicken, a great addition would be a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, or maybe some thinly sliced bell peppers—red or yellow look really pretty against the green lettuce. But if you want the absolute purest form of the recipe without meat, just leave the chicken out. Easy peasy!

Cheese and Protein Swaps for La Scala Chopped Salad

Okay, let’s talk cheese substitutions. The mozzarella provides the chewiness, and the Parmesan gives the salt punch. If you don’t like mozzarella, provolone cubed small works well, or even Monterey Jack if you want something super mild. For Parmesan, sometimes I cheat and use Pecorino Romano if I want an extra sharp bite! It’s much saltier, so you might need to dial back the added salt in the dressing just a hair.

When it comes to protein, the world is your oyster! If you’re cooking for meat-eaters, grilled shrimp, chopped small, is absolutely divine tossed into this La Scala Chopped Salad. The bright vinaigrette works so beautifully with seafood. You could also use thinly sliced smoked turkey breast if you have some leftovers hanging around. Just make sure whatever you add is chopped to a similar size as your cheese cubes so that perfect, mixed bite stays consistent!

Storage and Make-Ahead Options for La Scala Chopped Salad

We’ve talked about how this salad needs to be eaten right away for ultimate crunch, and that’s often the tricky part if you’re meal prepping or if you just made a giant batch because you know you’ll want leftovers the next day! Don’t worry, there are a couple of ways to handle storage so your second serving still tastes amazing. The biggest secret here, which I mentioned when making the dressing, is keeping the parts separate until the absolute last second.

Storing Leftover La Scala Chopped Salad

If you find yourself with leftover chopped lettuce and cheese mix—and hey, it happens when you’re hungry!—here is the absolute best way to save it. You must drain off any dressing clinging to the lettuce first. If you already tossed the whole bowl, try to move the lettuce/cheese mix into a container and pat it gently with a paper towel to wick away excess moisture.

But here’s the real pro move: only chop your ingredients. Keep the lettuce, the chicken, and the cheeses all in separate, airtight containers in the fridge. When you want a serving the next day, grab portions of the chopped solids, place them in a bowl, and *then* add fresh dressing. This way, the lettuce stays crisp and doesn’t get that sad, soggy texture that leftover salads tend to develop. Seriously, this separation hack is key for keeping the La Scala chopped salad vibe alive!

Preparing the Dressing Ahead of Time

This is the easiest make-ahead component, and I always do this when I know I’ll be in a rush the next day. That tangy red wine vinaigrette is fantastic, and guess what? It actually tastes even better after the flavors have had a little time to hang out together in the fridge! You can whisk up that entire dressing batch—vinegar, oil, oregano, salt, and pepper—and pop it into a tightly sealed jar.

You can safely store the finished dressing in the refrigerator for up to one whole day. Just make sure, before you use it, you take it out about 20 or 30 minutes beforehand. If you whisk it cold, sometimes the olive oil can seize up a little bit, and it won’t toss right. Let it warm up slightly on the counter, give it a final vigorous whisk or shake to re-emulsify it, and then you’re ready to dress that fresh batch of chopped salad right before you eat!

Frequently Asked Questions About the La Scala Chopped Salad

I know you’re going to love making this La Scala Chopped Salad, but sometimes questions pop up, especially when you’re working with a recipe that relies so heavily on texture. I’ve answered a few of the most common ones I get down below. If you’ve got other thoughts or if you want to compare notes, jump over to my advice on how to make the copycat Olive Garden salad, and maybe we can chat about toppings there!

Can I use a different type of lettuce in the La Scala Chopped Salad?

That’s a great question! Romaine is the standard bearer here because it offers that incredible, necessary crunch that holds up to the cheese and the dressing. If you want to mix it up slightly for variety, you absolutely can substitute part of the romaine with butter lettuce. It’s softer, so you won’t get quite the same structural integrity, but it adds a lovely tenderness to the mix. Just keep at least half of it as romaine to maintain that authentic La Scala chopped salad snap!

How do I keep the La Scala Chopped Salad crisp if I pack it for lunch?

If you’re trying to pack this for a work lunch or a picnic later on, you have to fight the urge to dress it ahead of time! The trick is to use the same principles we discussed for storage: keep everything separate. Pack your chopped lettuce/cheese/chicken mixture in one container, and put every last drop of that delicious vinaigrette into a teeny-tiny, separate container—a small condiment cup works perfectly.

Wait until you are ready to eat—whether that’s five minutes after you pack it or four hours later—and then, and only then, do you pour the dressing on and toss gently. This ensures maximum crispness for your La Scala Chopped Salad!

What makes the La Scala Chopped Salad dressing so unique?

It’s all about that bright, bold flavor combination! A lot of vinaigrettes rely heavily on Dijon mustard or maybe even sugar to round them out, but here, we’re keeping it pure and zesty. The combination of the sharp acidity from the red wine vinegar paired with the specific herbaceous warmth of dried oregano is what really defines the taste. It’s savory, tangy, and it cuts through the richness of the mozzarella cheese perfectly. It’s simple, but that specific duo hits just right!

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for La Scala Chopped Salad

So, here’s the thing about nutrition facts on my recipes—I always want you to know what you’re getting, but remember these are estimates based on my exact shopping trip! Since brands vary, and whether or not you include that optional chicken changes things dramatically, treat this as a general idea, okay? This breakdown is based on the recipe yielding four good-sized servings, so assume this is per serving.

What I love about this La Scala Chopped Salad is that even with the oil and cheese, it’s still incredibly high in protein thanks to the Parmesan and the optional chicken! It feels substantial without weighing you down, which is exactly what a great lunch salad should do.

Here’s what I calculated for one serving:

• Calories: About 350
• Fat: Around 30g (Remember most of that is the heart-healthy olive oil!)
• Protein: A solid 18g!
• Carbohydrates: Only 5g, mostly from the veggies.
• Sodium: Right around 300mg, depending on how salty you like your Parmesan.

A quick note: If you skip the chicken breast, you’ll see the total calories drop a bit, and naturally, the protein count dips down. But hey, you still get all the delicious cheese and that amazing vinaigrette flavor! It’s a testament to how simple, fresh ingredients can turn into something genuinely satisfying without needing a million additives.

Share Your Perfect La Scala Chopped Salad Experience

Well, that’s it! You now have the complete guide to making the absolute best La Scala Chopped Salad right in your own kitchen. I hope you’re excited to try it—I know I’m already hungry just thinking about that crunchy romaine and tangy dressing!

I truly want to know how it turns out for you! Please, if you make this salad, don’t be shy. Head down to the comments section below and leave a rating. Five stars if you loved it, but even if you tweaked the dressing or subbed out the cheese, tell me what you did! Your feedback really helps other folks who are trying to nail that authentic flavor for the first time.

Sharing successes in the kitchen is what makes cooking fun, and I always love seeing how you all adapt these classics. If you had any questions while you were prepping or tossing, you can always reach out to me directly over on the contact page. Happy chopping, everyone!

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