Chefs Salad Recipe

Wash and dry greens

Rinse the romaine, iceberg and red leaf (or mixed greens) thoroughly under cold water. Use a salad spinner or pat dry with clean towels until mostly dry. Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces, shred the iceberg, and tear the red leaf into smaller pieces. Place all three in a large salad bowl and toss lightly to combine.

Prepare vegetables

Halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the cucumber into thin half-moons (seed first if desired), thinly slice the red onion and radishes, shred the carrot, and thinly slice the green bell pepper. Add each prepared vegetable to the bowl with the greens or arrange them on a platter in separate sections if serving composed Chef's salads.

Eggs and bacon

Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, bring to a gentle boil, then turn off heat and cover. Let sit 10–12 minutes for hard-boiled. Transfer eggs to an ice bath, peel, and quarter. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp (about 6–8 minutes), transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble. Add quartered eggs and crumbled bacon to a small bowl or set aside.

Turkey, ham and cheeses

Slice or chop the cooked turkey breast into bite-sized pieces and dice the ham. Slice or cube the Swiss and shred the cheddar. Add the turkey, ham and cheeses to separate small bowls or arrange them on the salad platter so guests can see each component. Add the proteins and cheeses to the main salad bowl just before serving or keep them arranged on top for a composed look.

In a small bowl or jar, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Whisk vigorously or shake the jar until the dressing emulsifies and is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more vinegar for brightness, more honey for sweetness, or a pinch more salt if needed.

If serving as a tossed salad: pour about half of the vinaigrette over the greens and vegetables and toss gently to coat. Add the turkey, ham, eggs, bacon, and cheeses and toss again briefly to combine. Taste and add more dressing as needed (reserve leftover dressing for guests).

If serving composed (classic Chef's Salad style): arrange the greens on a large platter. Neatly arrange rows or wedges of turkey, ham, sliced cheeses, quartered eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, carrots, radishes, olives and croutons on top of the greens. Drizzle vinaigrette over the assembled salad or serve vinaigrette on the side.

Garnish the salad with chopped fresh parsley and sprinkle croutons on top just before serving so they remain crunchy.