Chef Salad

What Is A Chef Salad?

Chef salad, sometimes called chef’s salad, is an American salad made with deli meat, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, and greens. Its origin is debated, but some say that Louis Diat, chef at the Ritz Carlton in New York City, came up with it in the 1940s [*].

Some classic chef salad recipes include croutons and are topped with a chef salad dressing that is made with sugar, but this is a healthier version without the sugar or bread.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my easy chef salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Lettuce – I prefer to use romaine lettuce, but iceberg lettuce or any other greens will work. Chop right before serving.
• Deli Ham – You can buy ham, or use leftover ham, even ham steaks. Chop the ham into bite-sized pieces. (Chopped cooked bacon would also be delicious!) If you don’t eat pork, you can substitute turkey instead.
• Tomatoes – Any small tomatoes, such as cherry or grape tomatoes, work well. Slice these in half. If you only have large ones on hand, you can just chop those up instead.
• Cucumbers – Slice them into quarter moons.
• Cheese – I used a combination of Cheddar and Swiss, but feel free to use any cheeses you like. (Provolone is another common one to use.) Authentic chef salad typically has cheese cut into cubes, but if you don’t have block cheese on hand, you can use shredded as well.
• Hard Boiled Eggs – I recommend this method for perfect boiled eggs, but you could also air fry hard boiled eggs or bake them. Once cooled, slice them using an egg slicer.
• Thousand Island Dressing – I make mine with homemade sugar-free thousand island dressing, but any kind you like will work. If you’re not a fan of thousand island, ranch dressing, green goddess, honey mustard, or blue cheese dressing are great options. (This salad works best with creamy dressings, but a vinaigrette is also fine if that’s your preference.) If your dressing is a little bland, you can add salt and pepper to taste.

How To Make A Chef Salad

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Chop. Get all your ingredients sliced and diced, as described above.
2. Plate. You can put everything into one large salad bowl, or individual serving bowls.
3. Add dressing. Top salad with dressing and toss to coat, or serve the dressing on the side.

Recipe Variations

Want to change it up? Try these different ways to make this salad:

• Chicken – Omit the deli ham, and add 8 oz of cooked chicken such as shredded chicken, perfectly charred grilled chicken, or juicy baked chicken breast to the salad ingredients for a chicken chef salad.
• Veggies – Try adding sliced or diced avocado, grated carrots, thinly sliced radishes, or chopped celery. You can use up almost any vegetables you have on hand.
• Italian – Make an Italian chef salad by adding 1/4 cup sliced black olives, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1/4 cup diced pepperoncini peppers, and topping with shaved Parmesan cheese and Italian dressing.

More Easy Salad Recipes

If you like this simple salad, you might also like some of these other healthy salad recipes to enjoy as a meal:

Chicken Caesar Salad

Thai Beef Salad

Cobb Salad

Taco Salad