Chefs Salad is a classic tossed salad that features deli meat, cheese, veggies and hard boiled eggs served atop a bed of leafy greens. You’ve probably had this salad countless times in your life, but never quite this good! Trust me, this homemade salad is better than anything you can buy in a plastic box.

A large bowl filled with chefs salad is placed on a tabletop.


Chefs Salad

I know what you may be thinking. Chefs Salad… Isn’t that a little boring? Listen, if I strictly judged this salad based off of the plastic boxed salads I’ve had over the years, I’d think the same exact thing.

All too often, we shake up a Chefs Salad for lunch that’s got discolored eggs, limp veggies, and never enough meat and cheese! When you make your own at home, you get to change all that.

This homemade Chefs Salad features fresh, crisp veggies, all the meat and cheese your heart desires and hard boiled eggs that look exactly how you want them to. Plus, the leafy greens it’s all served with are also deliciously fresh, so every bite is oh so satisfying.

This is an easy to make lunch recipe that’ll help you get your veggie fix for the day AND actually keep you full until dinnertime!

Let’s discuss those veggies that sneak some nutrients into each tasty bite. There’s a medley of crunchy cucumbers, juicy grape tomatoes and some vibrant green onions in this easy salad recipe.

Both butter lettuce and romaine lettuce serve as the base to help vary the textures a little bit. While the veggies, cheese, meats and eggs really steal the show, I also love that they’re all neutral enough that I can top them off with whatever dressing I want.

The ingredients for chefs salad are placed on a countertop.

How to Make Chefs Salad

Chop up your ingredients, toss them with dressing (or serve it on the side), and enjoy. That’s really all there is to this classic lunch staple!

Assemble the salad. Arrange both of the lettuces in a large serving bowl. Top the base of the salad with the meats, cheeses, veggies, croutons and eggs. Sprinkle with green onions and fresh parsley.

Enjoy! Serve with dressing on the side or drizzled right on top.

We love this OXO Salad Spinner to dry our salad greens after a quick rinse. It helps the dressing stick to the salad and can double as a salad bowl!

Dressing is being drizzled on top of a chefs salad.

Tips and Variations to Try

Here are just a few ways to make this easy Chefs Salad recipe even better:

  • Eggs: Make your hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot! It’s such an easy and time saving way to get the perfect hard boiled eggs every single time.
  • Leftovers: Yes, I almost always use leftover meat when I toss this salad together. Whether it’s leftover ham from the holidays or a chicken breast from the night before, this quick salad recipe is the BEST way to use up those proteins.
  • Dressing: You can really use whatever dressing you like or happen to already have in your fridge. I love a good vinaigrette with my Chefs Salad, but blue cheese dressing is also pretty good.
  • Seasonings: A simple sprinkle of flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper does wonders to this salad! You can really send it over the top in a fun, unique way with something like Everything Bagel Seasoning.

Can I make Chefs Salad ahead of time?

Sure thing! Just be sure to assemble the salad as you normally would (minus the croutons), then wrap your serving dish tightly in plastic wrap. You may want to wrap it twice just to make sure no air can sneak in. Do NOT toss it with any salad dressing prior to storing, or just about all of your ingredients will spoil/go limp within hours. Wrapped up in the fridge and without dressing, Chefs Salad will stay fresh for about 2 days.

A completed chefs salad is topped with cracked black pepper.

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A large bowl filled with chefs salad is placed on a tabletop.

Get the Recipe: Chef’s Salad Recipe

A diner classic, this easy Chef's Salad is as fresh as it gets. Add your favorite cheese and protein to make it completely your own.
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Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2 cups chopped butter lettuce
  • 2 cups diced ham
  • 2 cups diced cooked turkey breast or chicken breast
  • 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup diced swiss chefs
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup sliced cucumber
  • 1 cup croutons
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
  • 3 chopped green onions
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 1/2 cups favorite dressing such as blue cheese or vinaigrette

Equipment

  • 1 salad bowl

Instructions 

  • Arrange the lettuce in a large serving bowl or platter.
  • Top the lettuce with the ham, turkey, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons and eggs.
  • Sprinkle with the green onions and parsley.
  • Serve with dressing on the side.

Notes

Amplify the flavor of your salad with a sprinkle of salt and pepper or Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Calories: 502kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 318mg, Sodium: 1189mg, Potassium: 736mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 6304IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 516mg, Iron: 3mg