Delish La Scala Chopped Salad Recipe

This is the salad that thinks it’s famous—and honestly, it kind of is. The Delish La Scala Chopped Salad takes basic iceberg lettuce and turns it into a red-carpet crunch fest with salty salami, creamy mozzarella, and chickpeas pretending to be protein chips. The dressing? Tangy, punchy, and exactly the thing that makes everyone eat a mountain of greens and then say, “Wait, why do I feel good?” It’s the rare salad that actually feels like dinner, not a side dish you eat out of guilt. Also yes, I used the too-small bowl again. No, I will not wash fewer dishes. I contain multitudes and also colanders.

Last week I made this for dinner and my husband announced he “doesn’t really do chickpeas,” then proceeded to eat half the bowl while standing over the counter like a polite raccoon. The kids declared iceberg “crunchy water with a PR team,” but still inhaled it once I called the salami “pizza strips.” Meanwhile, I tried to toss the salad in a mixing bowl the size of a hat, flung mozzarella pearls across the kitchen like confetti, and found one under the dog the next morning. She’s fine. Probably feels very Italian now.

Time-Saving Hacks

– Buy pre-shredded lettuce and pre-diced salami. Does it feel wrong? A little. Will I do it again? Absolutely.
– Use kitchen scissors to snip everything directly in the bowl. Chaotic good.
– Shake the dressing in an almost-empty mustard jar. Add oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, shake like you mean it.
– Pat canned chickpeas dry with a paper towel right in the strainer and call it “texture enhancement.”
– Mozzarella pearls > block mozzarella. Open, dump, pretend you’re a professional.
– Toss in a giant salad bowl or a clean stockpot. Is it weird? Yes. But it prevents the Great Lettuce Avalanche of 2025.

Serving Ideas

– Serve with garlic bread if you’re living your best carb-on-carb life.
– Add a rotisserie chicken if your family thinks salad isn’t dinner (they’re wrong, but okay).
– Wine pairing: crisp white if the kids were “fine,” bigger pour if they practiced recorder.
– Keep it simple: big bowl, tongs, and a warning that seconds will be competitive.
– For guests: grate a little parmesan on top and act like you always do that.

What to Serve It With

– Grilled shrimp or chicken skewers for extra protein without more effort.
– Tomato soup or minestrone for that café-lunch energy.
– Crispy roasted potatoes, because we’re complex and need crunch on crunch.
– A slice of grandma-style pizza—salad + pizza is balance, don’t @ me.
– Sparkling water with lemon if you’re trying to be that person today.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Chop everything small. Tiny squares = restaurant vibe. Big chunks = sad salad.
– Don’t overdress. Start with less, toss, then add more if it looks underwhelmed.
– Dry your lettuce and chickpeas or the dressing will slide right off like a bad first date.
– Good salami matters. Mediocre salami tastes like regret.
– Salt lightly after dressing—cheese and salami are already doing the heavy lifting.
– If making ahead, keep dressing separate or accept soggy consequences.

✔Storage Tips

Store it in the fridge… if there’s any left. Cold midnight leftovers? Sometimes better than fresh.
– Keep dressing on the side; toss right before eating for maximum crunch.
– Chopped components last 2–3 days in airtight containers; add fresh lettuce to revive.
– If it’s already dressed, eat within 24 hours. Add a handful of new lettuce to crisp it up.
– Chickpeas can be pan-toasted and stored separately for extra crunch insurance.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Swap salami for turkey, chicken, or crispy chickpeas if you’re meat-averse today.
– Provolone, asiago, or feta instead of mozzarella—follow your cheese heart.
– Add pepperoncini, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes for drama.
– Use kale or romaine if iceberg hurts your delicate sensibilities.
– Red wine vinegar is classic, but champagne vinegar or lemon works if that’s what you’ve got.
– No chickpeas? White beans or cannellini get the job done.
– Make it “deconstructed” by putting everything on a board and letting people pretend they’re at a cool café.

Frequently Asked Questions

Delish La Scala Chopped Salad Recipe

A classic Beverly Hills–style chopped salad loaded with crisp iceberg, garbanzo beans, salami, mozzarella, and a zesty red wine vinaigrette. Perfectly balanced, hearty, and irresistibly tossable.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1 head iceberg lettuce chopped
• ▢ 6 oz salami julienned
• ▢ 6 oz low-moisture mozzarella cheese diced
• ▢ 1.5 cup garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 cup tomatoes seeded and diced
• ▢ 0.5 cup pepperoncini sliced
• ▢ 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
• ▢ 2 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
• ▢ 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil dressing
• ▢ 0.25 cup red wine vinegar dressing
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard dressing
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce dressing
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon dry mustard dressing
• ▢ 1 clove garlic finely grated, dressing
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt dressing
• ▢ 0.25 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, dressing

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Wash and dry the lettuce thoroughly, then chop it into small, even pieces. Julienne the salami, dice the mozzarella, slice the pepperoncini, chop the basil, drain and rinse the garbanzo beans, and dice the tomatoes.
• Add the chopped lettuce to a large mixing bowl. Top with garbanzo beans, salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, pepperoncini, Parmesan, and basil.
• Make the dressing: In a jar or small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, dry mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly so everything is finely coated and evenly distributed.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately for the best crunch.

Notes

For the signature La Scala texture, chop ingredients into small, uniform pieces. If making ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss just before serving.