Super Easy Chef’s Salad Recipe

April14

I forgot how deliciously rewarding it is to prepare and eat a Chef’s Salad. Here's a Super Easy Chef's Salad Recipe... protein-rich and full of flavor, and looks beautiful on the table, too!   You get your protein. You get your cheese. You get your veggies. You get your crunchy little croutons. You get a healthy, easy-to-make meal that is tied together with a bouncy light vinaigrette.Here's a Super Easy Chef's Salad Recipe... protein-rich and full of flavor, and looks beautiful on the table, too!

Traditionally a Chef’s Salad is made with smoked ox tongue, fresh roasted ham and chicken or turkey cut off the bone and carefully sliced “julienne” style. I’m fine with the ham and chicken or turkey, but the smoked ox tongue is definitely NOT happening in my salad bowl. You go right ahead, and thank you very much.

But what do you do if you don’t have a roasted ham or chicken or turkey hanging out in your refrigerator? You follow my recipe for Super Easy Chef’s Salad. Buy the meat and cheese at the supermarket deli and ask (nicely) for them to cut into ¼-inch thick slices.

You’ll still need to cut the meat and cheese into strips, aka julienne, but that doesn’t take much time. Just stack the slices and cut them all at once. Boiled eggs are easy (and you may already have some in your fridge).

How to Make a Chef's Salad Mama's High StrungYou can use romaine lettuce, but I like to mix it up with iceberg and whatever other leaf lettuce looks good. In this recipe, I used only cucumbers and tomatoes, but you can add whatever veggies you like because, after all, this is a CHEF’S Salad… and you’re the CHEF!

Super Easy Chef’s Salad Recipe

prep: 15 minutes

serves 10

you’ll need…

12 cups lettuce
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced into wedges
8 ounces ham, sliced ¼-inch thick and cut into 3-inch strips
8 ounces cheddar cheese, sliced ¼-inch thick and cut into 3-inch strips
8 ounces turkey, sliced ¼-inch thick and cut into 3-inch strips
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup vinaigrette
2 cups croutons

let’s get to it…

Place the lettuce in a large serving bowl and toss with half of the vinaigrette.

Arrange the cucumbers, eggs, meat, cheese and tomatoes on top of the greens in an artsy way. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top of the salad and top with a few croutons. Serve the remaining croutons with the salad. Here's a Super Easy Chef's Salad Recipe... protein-rich and full of flavor, and looks beautiful on the table, too!  

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  2. Thai Beef Salad
  3. Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo
  4. How to Make The Best Granola Ever
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posted under Plated + Served, Recipe Box

27 thoughts on “Super Easy Chef’s Salad Recipe”

  2. Margot C

    I always adore a Chef’s Salad, and yours is beautiful. They are like deconstructed sandwiches.

    Reply ↓
  6. heather

    This recipe looks amazing and one that I will make next week I really need a good healthy salad like this thanks for sharing.

    Reply ↓
    1. Christina Post author

      This is a healthy salad… if you exercise portion control (which is VERY hard for me!). Also… you don’t have to use deli-meat… you can use leftover roast chicken or beef or pork!

      Reply ↓
  7. Mary M.

    I try to eat a salad every day and the more ingredients the better it tastes. The photo of the salad looks delicious. The only thing I would change would be to omit the eggs.

    Reply ↓
  10. Stephanie

    I was one of those weird kids that absolutely loved salad, and chef salads were my favorite. It’s not a salad to me if there’s no hard boiled eggs.

    Reply ↓
  15. Karren Haller

    Your salad looks delicious, sure glad we forgo the ox tongue, did not know that the original chef salad, does not sound good, I like your ingredients!!!

    Thanks for sharing on the OMHGWW this week!
    Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!
    Karren-Host

    Reply ↓

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Hi…
I’m Christina Chavez

I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com


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