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Classic Chef Salad

The Chef Salad is a classic American salad served in restaurants, diners, and hotels across the nation and beyond. Since we’re not known for our subtlety, it usually includes a vibrant medley of crisp, fresh veggies and is topped with cubed meats, hard-boiled egg, cheese, and a creamy ranch drizzled on top. It’s like a fantastic sandwich without the bread! In our recipe, we start with Romaine lettuce, add a plethora of fresh toppings, and finish it off with a homemade ranch dressing.

  • Total TIME:
  • 25 minutes
  • SERVINGS:
  • 2-3

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 (9 oz) bag of Taylor Farms Classic Romaine Blend
  • 1/4 cup croutons
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 cup Swiss cheese cubes
  • 1/2 cup diced ham
  • 1/2 cup sliced cucumbers
  • 1/2 cup sliced tomatoes

For the Homemade Ranch Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk (or regular milk if unavailable)
  • 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dried chives
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Add the fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, dried parsley, and dried chives. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust consistency with additional buttermilk if desired. Refrigerate the dressing for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  2. Assemble the Salad: Place the Classic Romaine Blend in a medium bowl or platter. Arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs, Swiss cheese cubes, diced ham, sliced cucumbers, and sliced tomatoes over the romaine blend. Sprinkle the croutons on top.
  3. Serve: Drizzle the homemade ranch dressing over the salad just before serving or serve it on the side if desired. Enjoy your Classic Chef Salad!

Variations on a Theme: Chef Salad Options


Although the origin of the Chef Salad is a bit disputed, we still love it for two main reasons: One, it provides a ton of protein and a wide nutrition profile thanks to the variety of ingredients involved. And two, it’s a great way to make a hearty meal-worth salad out of some things you may have sitting in your refrigerator. 

Feel like getting creative? Here are some variations on the Chef Salad to consider:

  • Other vegetables you can use for topping: olives, avocado, carrots, radishes, or red bell pepper
  • Instead of diced turkey and ham, you can roll slices of deli meat and set them on top of the salad for a nice display.
  • If you don’t have turkey and ham, you can also use rotisserie chicken that has been chilled.
  • Not a fan of Ranch? Consider using bleu cheese dressing, honey mustard dressing, or a light French dressing in its place. 
  • Experiment with different cheeses on your chef salad, such as cubed or shredded cheddar, bleu cheese crumbles, or feta cheese.


Serve your chef salad as a side dish to roasted meats or grilled burgers or make it the star of the show as its own entree! Enjoy!

taylor farms classic romaine
Featured Product

Classic Romaine

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