La Scala Inspired Green Bean Salad

What is the La Scala Salad and why is it so famous?

This La Scala salad originates from La Scala, a legendary Beverly Hills restaurant known for its celebrity clientele. Popularized by the Kardashians, it is known for its finely chopped ingredients and typically includes chopped iceberg lettuce, cubes of salami, shredded mozzarella, chickpeas, and a tangy vinaigrette.

So it’s like the original La Scala Salad, but with Green Beans?

Kinda…Of course, I had to put my own little spin on it. Here are the upgrades I added:

• I crisped up the salami first to add a little textural intrigue.
• I swapped in fresh mozzarella for the shredded.
• I chopped the chickpeas so they wouldn’t sink to the bottom of the bowl.
• I added chopped artichokes because why not?

Aside from being a show stopper, this is a salad you cannot stop eating. As I write this, I am contemplating running out to buy all the ingredients so I can make it again for lunch!

What about the Dressing?

I am so glad you asked, as this is a departure from my typical dressings which use a 1:2 ratio of acid to oil. Here, I used a 1:1 ratio, which is more acidic than I typically enjoy, however it works in this salad because of the richness of the mozzarella and salami, and the addition of the Parmesan or Pecorino to the dressing. To make this salad truly restaurant quality, I blended the dressing using my immersion blender, a departure from many of the homestyle recipes circulating out there on the web.

Is this salad good for meal prep?

Oh yes! For aesthetic reasons, you may want to store it undressed, then dress right before you plan to eat it. But even heavily dressed, it was a pleasure to eat over the next few days.

Want a more traditional La Scala Salad? Click here!

La Scala Inspired Green Bean Salad

Recipe by thesal28_wp

Course: Salads

Servings

3-4

servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. green beans

• 12 pieces of thinly sliced salami (I typically use soppressata, or Calabrian salami, which is a little spicier)

• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (or sungolds, if you can find them)

• 8 oz. small fresh mozzarella pearls

• 1 cup artichoke hearts (I use the ones sold in a brine rather than oil)

• 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 of a small red onion

• Kosher salt

• black pepper

• La Scala Salad Dressing

• 4 small cloves garlic (peeled)

• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 1/2 tbsp Dijon vinegar (I know this seems like a lot, but it is what allows us to get away with using so little oil)

• 1 1/2 tbsp honey (yes, this is more than usual, but the same rationale that applies to the mustard applies here)

• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 3 tbsp grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

• red chili flakes, to taste

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375° (F) and adjust oven rack to the middle position. Blanch your green beans: Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and then enough water to fill the bowl 3/4 of the way. In a medium pot, bring 3 qts of water and 1 tbsp Kosher salt to a boil. Once the water boils, add the green beans and cook until bright green (about 45-60 seconds). Using a spider strainer, remove the green beans and plunge into the ice bath. Drain the green beans then place onto a plate lined with a few sheets of paper towel. Blot dry gently. Cut the green beans thinly and add to a large bowl.
• Prepare the dressing: Using your top loading or immersion blender, blend together the garlic, vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. While blending, drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Stir in the Italian seasoning, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and red chili flakes.
• Arrange the salami in a single layer on a parchment paper covered sheet pan. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven and flip each piece of salami. Return pan to oven for another 4-6 minutes (different brands will require different cook times due to varying thinness). Remove the crispy salami from the pan immediately and place on a paper towel lined plate.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes, then chop the chickpeas coarsely, which will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of your salad. Coarsely chop the artichoke hearts. Thinly slice your preferred amount of red onion.
• Combine the green beans, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, mozzarella pearls and red onion. Add a few tablespoons of the dressing and toss. Crumble the crispy salami on top. Add more dressing as desired, and season to taste.

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