Anyone from the Westside of LA has tried the La Scala Chopped Salad. La Scala is an institution that Kevin and I have been going to regularly our entire adult lives. When I went to USC I ate the Chopped Salad at least 3 times a week. Kevin and I could not find anything like it in New York, so I have been perfecting my own version at home. Below is my modified version that I make almost  every night in some varied form for the family (If Kevin doesn’t eat it all first!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag (3 heads) of organic romaine lettuce, finely chopped
1 head of organic iceberg lettuce, finely chopped
12 slices of organic soppressata salami, finely chopped
1 C organic mozzarella, freshly grated
1/4 C pimiento peppers, finely chopped
JF Universal Salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper
JF Simple Mustard Vinaigrette
 
Optional Add Ins:
Garbanzo beans, marinate them in my JF Simple Mustard Vinaigrette
Diced avocado
Diced English cucumber
Diced red or white onion
Diced pepperoncini
Diced tomato
Chopped bacon
Chopped turkey
Chopped grilled chicken

PROCESS:

After prepping all the ingredients, I like to let everyone build their own bowls. Begin with a base of lettuce then add cheese, salami, pimiento peppers (you just want small bits of red throughout, not too much pimiento). Toss this together and then add my JF Simple Mustard Vinaigrette. The key is getting the ratio correct. Minimal dressing seasoned with fresh cracked black pepper and JF Universal Salt is the best. Kevin loves garbanzo beans, so I always keep a container of marinated beans in the fridge. Simply pour my JF Simple Mustard Vinaigrette over one can of drained beans and add a very generous spoonful of JF Universal Salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Refrigerate them in an airtight container. I prefer chopped red onion and diced avocado on mine. There is no strict ‘recipe’ here just wing it! Create your own version for you and your family. The key is chopping the lettuce very fine and all the components that go into it. They should all be roughly the same size. A sharp knife is also a key ingredient to make it easier. My new thing is putting the salad on top of cauliflower pizza crust for ’salad pizza’.