Why the La Scala Chopped Salad Is Famous | Lei's Kitchen

This La Scala chopped salad is inspired by the iconic Beverly Hills restaurant classic - known for its finely chopped ingredients and bright, satisfying bite. It’s a Southern California favorite for a reason: fresh, unfussy, and effortlessly elegant.

As always, I adapted it using what I had in the house for the salad and made it my own - including a small but intentional twist in the dressing by adding minced garlic for extra depth and savoriness.

Inspired by Courtney’s @https://apaigeofpositivity.com/la-sca...
Ingredients:
Dressing
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 Tbs of minced garlic (Lei's tweak)

Salad
• 1 head romaine lettuce (thinly sliced and soak into an ice bath, drained)
• 1/2 can chickpeas rinsed and drained (15 oz)
• 4 oz Italian dried salami bites, cut into pieces
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced into half
• 1/4 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup shaved pecorino romano cheese
• 4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into smaller pieces

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, grated pecorino romano cheese, and lemon juice until it’s a smooth consistency.
2. Add the lettuce to the salad bowl, add the drained chickpeas, salami, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, chopped fresh parsley (optional), shaved pecorino and fresh mozzarella cheese. Drizzle dressing and toss together until coated in the homemade dressing. Tips: Ice bath sliced lettuce and drain completely to make it extra crisp. Use whatever cheeses you prefer or have. I used one savory (pecorino romano) and the other mild to add texture (mozzarella cheese).