Loaded House Salad

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Why do restaurant House Salads just taste different than at home? The key the perfect blend flavors and textures with veggies, protein and delicious house-made dressings. I've cracked the special recipe to make the ultimate house salad that tastes just like a professional chef.

This is a picture of a chopped salad filled with veggies and topped with dressing.

Table of Contents

What is a House Salad?

There's oftentimes nothing better than a great house salad. What makes it special? Well every restaurant has their own take with crunchy fresh lettuce, a mixture of flavorful toppings, a vibrant dressing. Some restaurants like Olive Garden, Chili's, and Friday's are even famous for their classic salad recipes.

It was my mission to recreate a restaurant worthy salad at home, and this one was a huge success! What makes this recipe out-of-this-world delicious is the grated egg and cheese tossed with the perfect amount of veggies and dressing!

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If you love a good salad like I do, you have to try these other recipes. My Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad is a hearty main course, while my Layered Salad will impress any crowd. And my Wedge Salad is as classic as they come, an American favorite.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

Customization: You can add or take away whatever ingredients you'd like to make it just like you like it! You can also pair with a new dressing for different flavors!
Main Dish or Side Dish: This hearty salad can be served as a pairing to lots of dinners or you can add an extra serving of protein and serve it as a dinner itself!
Make Ahead Ease: All of the components can be prepped ahead of time and then tossed together when ready to serve!

Ingredients

Lettuce: Provides a crunchy base and adds volume to the salad.
Boiled Eggs: Adds protein and richness to the salad.
Cheddar Cheese: Adds a creamy texture and rich flavor to the salad.
Bacon: Adds a salty, smoky flavor and crispy texture. Bacon also provides protein and fat to the salad.
Tomatoes: Add sweetness, juiciness, and acidity to the salad.
Cucumbers: Provide a refreshing crunch and mild flavor to the salad.
Red Onion: Adds a sharp, tangy flavor and crunchy texture.
Croutons: Add a crispy texture and savory flavor to the salad.
Ranch Dressing: Adds creaminess and tanginess to the salad.

Pro Tip: A professional chef taught me to drizzle the dressing around the rim of the mixing bowl then toss everything to evenly coat and combine. This prevents the lettuce from being overdressed.

Tools You’ll Need

How to Make Loaded House Salad

You’ll need to start with a large bowl big enough to toss the all of the ingredients together.
Grated boiled eggs and cheese are the secret weapon to this recipe! The texture along with the lettuce, veggies and crushed croutons is incredible.

Grating cheese and boiled eggs into a bowl.

Once all of the components are added to the bowl, pour about ¼-1/3 cup of dressing on top. Toss with tongs until everything is blended well. Add more dressing if you’d like.

Pour in a serving bowl and serve as meal starter or side dish.

Pro Tips and Substitutions

Customize the toppings. Add or omit veggies selections as desired. Feel free to add croutons, rice sticks and toasted nuts. Anything for flavor and texture.
Add fruit for natural sweetness. If desired, add fresh berries in the summer or dried fruits in the winter.
Use a flavorful dressing. Homemade or high-quality store-bought dressing yields a more delicious recipe.
Serving the dressing. The dressing can be served on the side, but the blend of it tossed with the dressing sets this restaurant-worth version apart from others.
Do not overdress the salad. Drizzle the dressing around the rim of the bowl then toss to evenly coat, this will prevent the greens from becoming overdressed.
Chop the salad. For a different texture, you can chop all of the ingredients into smaller pieces. This also really helps the flavors to marinate together.
Add a protein. To turn this into a main course, I suggest adding a protein like grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp.
Use my perfect hard-boiled egg recipe! This recipe includes hard boiled eggs and my recipe makes sure they turn out great every time.

Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions

For storing leftovers in the refrigerator: Place in an airtight container and consume within one day if the salad has already been dressed for freshness.
To make ahead: Store the lettuce greens separately from the toppings and dressing. This keeps each component as fresh as possible before serving.
I never recommend freezing salad as the texture will be ruined.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to make a salad taste like a restaurant?

Use a fresh crunchy lettuce base and add a variety of textures and flavors in the toppings. Toss with a flavorful homemade or high quality store-bought dressing.

Why do salads taste better at a restaurant?

This is thanks to adding all different textures and flavors in the greens as well as toppings. Plus adding a flavorful homemade dressing.

Why are salads so crisp?

Because they use fresh vegetable ingredients as the base and top with other ingredients that are full of vibrant flavor and texture.

What's the most important ingredient in a salad?

The fresh lettuce base. Use a variety of lettuces for texture and flavor. The fresher the greens the more flavor in the salad.

What are the 5 components of a satisfying salad?

A satisfying salad typically consists of five key components that contribute to its taste, texture, and overall enjoyment: 1) base greens or vegetables, 2) protein, 3) vegetables and fruits, 4) healthy fats, and 5) dressing or flavorful sauce.

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