This beautiful and delectable Chef Salad brings all the best hearty protein together with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and seasoned croutons. This main meal salad is perfect for those busy spring nights and hot summer days.
May is here and there is just so much to do. There are graduations, spring concerts, field days, school award ceremonies, baby showers and weddings. Sometimes a great salad recipe is all you need to satisfy your awesome family. This fabulous Chef Salad will fit that bill perfectly!
What is a Chef Salad?
This traditionally America salad combines hard boiled eggs, several varieties of meats such as ham, turkey, roast beef or chicken, cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers. It is a gorgeous and is usually presented with the ingredients aesthetically placed before it is tossed.
How to make a chef salad
First hard boil a few eggs. Please see my helpful tips for hard boiled eggs. Once completely cooled peel and cut into quarters lengthwise. Meanwhile cook four slices of bacon either in a skillet or in the oven until crispy. Coarsely chop and set aside for a few minutes.
Next chop and rinse a large head of romaine lettuce. Feel free to add a couple handfuls of spring greens or torn Boston lettuce. Shake or spin the lettuce as dry as you can. Top the bowl with the hard boiled eggs, crispy chopped bacon, Swiss cheese, ham, turkey, cucumbers, tomatoes and croutons.
Top with your favorite salad dressing! Some of our favorites are ranch, chipotle ranch, avocado ranch, bleu cheese, Italian and even a honey mustard vinaigrette. There is really not any wrong dressing for this beautiful salad. Even thousand island and French dressing would be delicious on this salad.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- For best results choose eggs that are as close to expiration as possible for easier peeling. Try steaming the eggs for even more ease in peeling. I have had a lot of success with this method.
- Purchase good quality deli meats and cheeses.
- If you don’t like swiss cheese try cheddar, bleu cheese or provolone. It is your salad so fix it to your liking.
- Sun ripened tomatoes always take this salad over the top but in the winter months I use grape tomatoes. They seem to have the most flavor during the cold chilly months.
- Homemade Croutons are always a huge hit and really bring out the best that the salad has to offer.
- Do you have a favorite creamy homemade dressing? This salad is great with ranch, bleu cheese, thousand island, and even Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing.
Other Salad Recipes you will love!
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Nicoise Salad
- Chicken Waldorf Salad
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Easy Carrot Salad
Chef Salad
This beautiful and delectable Chef Salad brings all the best hearty protein together with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and seasoned croutons.
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: salad
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 small head romaine chopped
- 2–3 cups spring greens or torn Boston lettuce
- 4 hard boiled eggs peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 4 slices crispy cooked bacon
- 1/2 cup julienne strips deli style Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup julienne strips deli style ham
- 1/2 cup julienne strips deli style turkey
- 1 cup sliced English cucumber (about 1/3 English cucumber)
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 cup seasoned croutons
- 2/3–1 cup salad dressing (ranch, chipotle ranch, avocado ranch, bleu cheese, Italian, honey mustard)
Instructions
- Add romaine and spring greens to a large bowl.
- Top the lettuce with eggs, bacon, Swiss cheese, ham, turkey cucumbers, tomatoes and croutons.
- Drizzle with your favorite salad dressing and toss to coat.
Notes
- For best results choose eggs that are as close to expiration as possible for easier peeling. Try steaming the eggs for even more ease in peeling. I have had a lot of success with this method.
- Purchase good quality deli meats and cheeses.
- If you don’t like swiss cheese try cheddar, bleu cheese or provolone. It is your salad so fix it to your liking.
- Sun ripened tomatoes always take this salad over the top but in the winter months I use grape tomatoes. They seem to have the most flavor during the cold chilly months.
- Homemade Croutons are always a huge hit and really bring out the best that the salad has to offer.
- Do you have a favorite creamy homemade dressing? This salad is great with ranch, bleu cheese, thousand island, and even Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing.
Keywords: what is a chefs salad, what's in a chef salad, julienne salad, how to make a chef salad
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