Classic Chef Salad Recipe
This classic chef salad is loaded with turkey, ham, roast beef, Swiss and cheddar cheese, eggs, and avocado on a bed of iceberg and Boston Bibb lettuce. I serve it with my homemade thousand island dressing and comes together in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into bitesize pieces
- 1 head Boston bibb lettuce, cut into bitesize pieces
- ½ seeded and large diced English cucumber
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 ounces cubed swiss cheese
- 4 ounces cubed cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces cubed turkey meat
- 8 ounces cubed ham
- 8 ounces cubed roast beef
- 4 peeled and quartered hard-boiled eggs
- 1 peeled, seeded, and large diced avocado
- ½ thousand island dressing recipe
Instructions
- Add the lettuces to a large serving bowl.
- Next, layer on with cucumbers, tomatoes, cheeses, meats, hard-boiled eggs, and avocado.
- Serve alongside the thousand island dressing or season the salad with salt and pepper and dress with the dressing and serve.
Notes
A chef salad is only as good as the quality of the ingredients. Since nothing is cooked, every component is tasted as-is, so I buy the best I can.
Use two lettuces: The combination of iceberg and Bibb gives you both crunch and softness.
Cube the meats and cheeses uniformly: Keeping everything the same size means every forkful gets a balanced bite of protein, cheese, and vegetables.
Dress on the side: I never dress the salad ahead of time. The dressing should go on right before eating, or be served on the side, so the lettuce stays crisp.
Build on a budget: The meats and cheeses are the most expensive part. I check what is on sale at the deli counter and build around that. Even with just one meat and one cheese, the salad is still satisfying.
Add extras: I have also added beans, chickpeas, radishes, pepperoncini, olives, and carrots depending on what I have in the refrigerator. The recipe is forgiving and designed to be customized.
Make-Ahead: This salad is meant to be eaten as soon as it is assembled. I prep all the toppings up to a day ahead and store them separately in the refrigerator, then assemble right before serving.
How to Store: I cover and store the undressed salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Once dressed, it should be eaten immediately.
How to Reheat: This is served cold. No reheating needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 8gCalories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 30gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 172mgSodium: 993mgPotassium: 619mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1745IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 341mgIron: 3mg