How The Viral La Scala Salad Became Beloved By Hollywood

You don't need to be a Hollywood star to understand the challenge of enjoying a meal but worrying about dropping pieces of food onto your favorite clothing. This experience is precisely what inspired the chopped salad served at one California establishment. La Scala has been serving up dishes in Beverly Hills for decades and is an established favorite among celebrities. While hearty plates of pastas and proteins are carried out to tables, one salad has captivated many visitors. Even Kim Kardashian has been vocal about her love for the chopped salad served at La Scala, which quickly led to it becoming a viral sensation.

This particular salad recipe is rumored to have been made after hungry celebs asked the chef for a dish that was easy to eat. What was at the time called a gourmet salad had a reputation for being delicious but challenging to eat because of its big pieces. In response, Chef Jean Leon instructed his team to chop the ingredients used in the recipe so finely that glamorous diners could easily and neatly scoop pieces up without having to interrupt their conversations with dropped vegetables or pause to slice into larger leaves of lettuce.

Though Leon first made the salad in the 1950s, the tasty recipe remains a popular favorite. The salad has made the rounds on the socials, and its popularity has been further encouraged by celebrities' love for the flavors and ease of the dish. Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were said to be fans, and recent restaurant visitors have gushed about the chopped salad online.

Traditionally made with lettuce, shredded mozzarella cheese, salami, and garbanzo beans, the vinaigrette-topped salad has seen a few variations over the years, largely due to changing dining trends. Whether served with roast beef, grilled salmon, or on its own, the size of the ingredients is key to this presentation. If you can't make it to La Scala, rest assured that the recipe is straightforward to make at home. You can adjust ingredients to suit your palate and preferences, but the taste of the original recipe is similar to an Italian sub sandwich reimagined as a salad.

For those hosting dinner parties, the La Scala chopped salad can be made in advance, or ingredients can be prepped and set out for guests to customize their plate to suit their own preferences. You can also include chopped proteins — turkey, crispy bacon, salmon bits, grilled tofu, and salami — to really customize the features of this classic salad. Other ingredients that can be substituted or added into the recipe include grilled artichoke hearts and chopped bell peppers. 

Add a simple dressing made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dijon mustard to top it off. Grated or flaked pecorino Romano cheese is a nice touch to sprinkle over the salad as well. Freshly cracked pepper can be the finishing touch, and flaky sea salt or Maldon salt add texture to this dish, leading to a satisfying meal that is fit for both stars and star-gazers alike.