Restaurant Summer Salads

Prepare these refreshing salads in your own galley. Recipes serve 4.

We all love crisp, refreshing salads in the hot summer. Whether simple or elaborate, they keep us cool while satisfying our appetites.

On our boat a few summers ago, I started experimenting with “copycat” recipes of our favorite restaurant salads. I made the dressing a couple of days in advance to meld flavors. I prepared the lettuce ahead of time and stored it in a large Ziploc bag or container. While working in a restaurant kitchen,

I learned that lettuce will brown if cut in advance with a metal knife. To avoid browning, simply tear lettuce into bite-size pieces with your hands. Toss each salad with just enough dressing to coat ingredients and serve additional dressing on the side. 

The Original Chef Salad 1910 Ritz Carlton NYC

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. ketchup

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. paprika

Pinch of white pepper

1 egg yolk

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp. salt or more, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Set dressing aside.

Salad: 

8 cups mixed lettuce (romaine, arugula, iceberg)

8 slices of each:
deli ham, roast beef, chicken, or turkey and Swiss cheese 
(sliced into strips: 2-inch-long x 1-inch-wide)

2 hard-cooked eggs, halved

1 cup tomatoes, sliced

1 cup cucumber, sliced

8 whole anchovies (optional)

Spread lettuce on a platter. Arrange ham, beef, turkey, or chicken, Swiss cheese, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and anchovies attractively on top of greens. Drizzle with some of the dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side. 

California Pizza Kitchen: BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Dressing:

Herb Ranch (or your favorite bottled ranch dressing)

¼ cup sour cream

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. each minced dill, parsley, and chives (or a pinch of each dried herb)

½ tsp. pepper 

½ tsp. salt 

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Salad:

8 cups bite-size iceberg or romaine lettuce

1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen or canned and drained)

1 cup jicama, peeled and diced (or other crunchy vegetable such as radish or celery)

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup tomato, diced

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed 

½ cup BBQ sauce

1 cup tortilla strips (or crumbled tortilla chips)

1 cup avocado, diced (optional)

Hot sauce

Combine lettuce, corn, jicama, beans, cheese, and tomatoes in a salad bowl. Toss with ranch dressing. Combine chicken and BBQ sauce. Place chicken on the salad. Sprinkle salad with tortilla strips and diced avocado. Serve with extra BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, tortilla strips, and hot sauce.

Columbia Restaurant’s Original “1905” Salad

Dressing: 

½ cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried oregano

⅛ cup vinegar (not balsamic)

½ tsp. each salt and pepper 

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (or 2 Tbsp. chopped anchovies)

3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl to form an emulsion.

Salad:

8 cups bite-size iceberg or romaine lettuce

2 ripe tomatoes, large, diced

1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 cup each of ham and Swiss cheese (sliced into 2-inch-long narrow strips) 

½ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. Add dressing and toss well. Serve immediately. 

-by Lori Ross