Great Riff On The Famous La Scala Salad
This flavor-enhancing recipe is a riff on the famous Beverly Hills restaurant La Scala Chopped Salad by adding red onion, pepperoncini, and pecorino-romano cheese.Restaurateur Jean Leon invented the salad and served it at his Beverly Hills restaurant, La Scala, beginning in the 1950s. Many celebrities still visit the restaurant today to enjoy the Italian-inspired salad with salami, mozzarella, chickpeas, and a mustard-based dressing.
Equipment
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Small and 1 large bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce chopped
- 1/2 can (6 oz) chickpeas rinsed, drained
- 6 slices Italian salami chopped
- 1 slice red onion chopped
- 2 tbsp pepperoncini sliced
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 2 tbsp pecorino-romano or parmesan cheese grated very fine - for garnish
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1/6 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing first.
- Rinse and drain chickpeas - place in small bowl and cover with a bit of the dressing.
- Assemble the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the chickpeas to the salad and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Serving
- Toss the salad with some more of the dressing (not too much) and garnish with fresh ground pepper and the pecorino-romano cheese. Serve cold.
Notes
For a vegetarian version: substitute the salami for tomato.
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