Home » Recipes » Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Chopped Salad — Copycat Recipe is SO DELICIOUS!!
posted by Rozon Nov 14, 2020 (updated Sep 12, 2023)
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I have only tried one other “copycat” recipe for those famous recipes that so many of us wish we could get our hands on the secret recipes. It was for the coleslaw recipe from KFC. And just like this copycat recipe for the Chopped Salad at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, it was spot-on delicious! I’m always a little bit skeptical of recipes stating that they’re good duplicates of a cherished recipe. But I have to say that I’m batting 100% with the two copycat recipes that I’ve tried.
Now I don’t know if you’ve dined at Ruth’s Chris or not, or if you are a fan of the restaurant or not. It is hands-down our favorite steakhouse in our neck of the woods. We’ve never had a bad experience or meal at the location in Greenville, South Carolina. Along with one of the famous steaks, we religiously order the Ruth’s Chris Chopped Salad. I’ve always wanted to prepare this salad and I finally did today.
It is ridiculously delicious! So I just had to share it with you! ♡
I have to say that if this is not the famous secret recipe for Ruth’s Chris Chopped Salad than it is pretty darn close. And it’s wonderful to my taste buds!
Ingredients in the recipe for Ruth’s Chris Chopped Salad:
This colorful chopped salad combines layers of flavor with spinach, radicchio, and iceberg lettuces . . . mixed with an assortment of chopped artichoke hearts, green olives, hard-cooked eggs, hearts of palm, bacon, red onion, crumbled blue cheese, and dried onion rings. The creamy, yet slightly tangy dressing is perfectly light with lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper . . . and I add some garlic powder.
To make this salad even more of a sensory experience, there is this wonderful crunch from the dried onion rings and thick bacon. And my husband and I love ‘crunch’ in our salads. I might even add some slivered almonds to this the next time I prepare it.
I guarantee that I’ll make this chopped salad again and again now that I have the recipe!
What’s great about chopped salads is that when you take a bite, you get all of the flavors at once including the dressing.
TIP FROM JULIE, One of the Readers of LBVC: Julie recommends decreasing the amount of lemon juice and sour cream in the dressing. This is a very good piece of advice for those who want a more subtle lemon flavor. So add these 2 ingredients slowly and taste as you go. Stop adding lemon juice and sour cream when you come to your preferred preferences for each of those ingredients. Julie also said to consider adding a little bit of honey to counter the lemon juice.
THANKS, JULIE!
Perfect Salad for Entertaining Too!
So if you’re in need of an incredible salad that can be made ahead, trust me, this chopped salad is a keeper! Talk about a great salad for entertaining since you can make everything ahead of time. Just toss everything before serving to your guests so that the lettuces don’t wilt and the bacon doesn’t get soft.
With the holidays coming up, this salad will make a LOT of people happy and craving for more! I know that I’d enjoy seconds of this famous salad and forget about some of the other holiday food options!
Let me know if you make this recipe for Ruth’s Chris Chopped Salad! I’d love to know what you think!
And as always, send me a photo and I’ll share it here for the community to see!
COOKING TIPS for Making Chopped Salads:
- Start with a nice blend of your favorite lettuces, such as your go-to iceberg if you enjoy more crunch. Then add some romaine, spinach, red leaf, red cabbage, and/or mesclun. Some are more earthy lettuce than others and some have more flavor and zing than others. It’s good to have a good balance. Choosing and prepping great greens is the first step in salad excellence.
- Don’t buy lettuce that’s browning or has bruises. Notice if the edges of spinach or mesclun have yellowed, and skip those. We really dislike the taste of packaged lettuce, but if you like them and are in a time-crunch where you need to use those pre-washed lettuces, then do make sure to check for condensation in the bagged lettuces, because moisture in the package means the greens inside will soon wilt.
- Whenever you’re making a salad, it’s always best to use lettuce that has been washed and dried, not wet or damp, so that the dressing/vinaigrette can cling to the lettuce better. You want to remove any of the grit in lettuces from growing in the dirt, so don’t skip giving them a nice bath. Fill a huge bowl with cold water. Tear apart the leaves and swish them around in the water, then let them rest for a few minutes so any released dirt can settle at the bottom. Lift the greens out of the bath and place into a salad spinner.
- One way to make sure that your lettuce has the grit and rinse water ‘gently’ removed is by giving the lettuce a nice little whirl in a salad spinner. You may have to do this twice. Dry washed lettuce well in that spinner. Throwing a paper towel in with the leaves helps absorb water. Take this seriously—for chopping, lettuce has to be totally dry. I have been using the same salad spinner to dry off lettuce for decades now.
- Add more chopped vegetables. Be creative and go beyond the basics of carrots, avocado and tomato. Throw in some chopped red and green peppers, broccoli, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, or radishes to add some extra crunch. Beets add more color and nutrition to the salad.
- Adding fresh fruit adds a welcome sweetness to any chopped salad, while dried fruit can contribute chewiness and tang.
- Cheese is always nice in any salad, ranging from manchego, asiago, pecorino, feta and parmesan to blue cheese or gorgonzola . . . all which add more tangy zing to your mix and make your chopped salad even more extraordinary. Don’t use too much to prevent the cheese from overpowering everything else in the salad.
- Addgood quality meat to anchor your salad. We use a lot of thick, crispy, crumbled, smoky bacon in our salads.
- Add hard-boiled eggs that really make a salad sing.
- Make a crunchy impact by adding dried onion rings, crispy wonton noodles, croutons, tortilla chips, slivered almonds, cashews, or peanuts.
- Use a large chef’s knife or a mezzalunaon a wooden cutting board to chop everything up. Chop ingredients to the size that you prefer.
- When dressing a chopped salad, spoon or drizzle a few tablespoons of dressing into the mix and then toss the salad. You want the dressing to coat the ingredients without bogging them down.Taste a bite as you go, adding a little more dressing and then some freshly cracked salt and pepper to finish.
- Serve chopped salads right after tossing.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Chopped Salad — Copycat Recipe
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 31 reviews
- Author: Roz Corieri Paige | La Bella Vita Cucina
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is just one of my all-time favorite salads that is famous on the menu at all Ruth’s Chris Steakhouses. The recipe is a copycat and if you ask me, it is the real deal. It is so delicious with the chopped lettuce, hearts of palm, bacon, eggs, blue cheese, and the creamy lemon basil dressing! I could eat a gallon at a time! Enjoy!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
For the Chopped Salad:
- 4 packed cups romaine lettuce, sliced into 1/4” julienned slices
- 4 packed cups iceberg lettuce, sliced into 1/4” julienned slices
- 4 packed cups baby spinach, chopped
- 2 packed cups radicchio, sliced very thin
- 3/4 medium red onion, sliced very thin and then halved
- 1/4 cup chopped green olives
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese or Italian gorgonzola cheese
- 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, and using just the chunky ends, cut ends into 1/4″ chunks, saving the layered portion of the hearts for another recipe or salad (I added this ingredient and it’s fantastic)
- 1–14 oz. can hearts of palm, drained, and cut into 1/4” chunks
- 6 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
- 1 full package of super-thick ‘high quality’ smoked bacon, cooked until dark brownish-red, fat drained, cut into 1/4” bits
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into 1/4” chunks
- 1–1/2 cups crispy, dried fried onion rings, crumbled and used to top the salad
- Garnish: cherry tomatoes cut in half, as many as you prefer to use
- freshly-cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste
For the Lemon Basil Dressing:
- 1 – 2 cups sour cream (add 1st cup first, then add more after all of the remaining ingredients for the dressing are added. Give it a stir, then taste, and add more sour cream if preferred)
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese (add to your preferred preference)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- (optional) – 1 tsp. honey, if desired (I don’t use)
Instructions
For the Chopped Salad:
- In a very large bowl, combine lettuce, spinach, radicchio, red onions, green olives, mushrooms, eggs, hearts of palm and bacon; toss well.
- Add crumbled blue cheese and about 1/2 of Lemon Basil Dressing; toss until well mixed.
- Divide salad among 4 dinner plates, garnish with cherry tomato halves, and top salads with crispy fried onions.
For the Lemon Basil Dressing:
- Combine all ingredients, and add seasoned salt and garlic powder to taste.
- Mix well; refrigerate until serving.
- Refrigerate any leftover dressing.
Originally posted in 2018 and updated in 2020
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originally published on Nov 14, 2020 (last updated Sep 12, 2023)
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52 comments on “Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Chopped Salad — Copycat Recipe is SO DELICIOUS!!”
Kathy Dunaway — Reply
I like this recipe, unfortunately your ‘subscribe’ page now blocks access and it impossible to get off the screen. The X is out of reach.
Kristine P — Reply
Alright, so I made this tonight as a side to go with ribs. It worked out well. Prepped half and then dressed half of that. It makes a lot! Like others, I feel the dressing needs some tweaking. Kind of flat and one note. I even added some dried chives and parsley, which helped but still not enough umph for my taste. Couldn’t taste the olives so next time I’ll either add more or leave out. I saw a comment from someone who works at Ruths Chris and said no artichokes. I agree. I love them but they don’t fit here. I think I’d switch to romaine instead of iceberg as it stays crisper longer. I’ve never had the original so I can’t say how this compares. It’s good as is but it’s a lot of work and ingredients.
Roz — Reply
Kristine,
You certainly know how to analyze a recipe and I appreciate your opinion! I would add any ingredient that your taste preferences require. If you do try the original recipe in one of the R.C. restaurants, I’d try to once again re-create it and tweak it based on that experience and your memory. You indeed know how to discern what is missing or should be taken out of a recipe . . . and that is a testament to a good cook! I did read someone’s comment about no artichokes, but since i happen to love them, I leave them in. I agree with you about using romaine lettuce, it’s the R.C. recipe that calls for iceburg and I have no idea why they do. I agree to adding more green olives, that might jazz it up for your tastebuds and my husband would be ecstatic for more as well! I’d also recommend some minced garlic. You’re right, it’s a lot of work, but a lot of good recipes are. Maybe like Olive Garden, R.C. could bottle some and make life easier for busy people. I very much appreciate all of your ideas and for visiting today. Let me know ANYTIME you think a recipe that I share can be improved.
Ciao my friend,
Roz
Mary Washington — Reply
Will be trying.
Roz — Reply
Hi Mary,
This is really a very good, and super delicious recipe. I do hope you try it. For your own personal preferences, do play with the vinaigrette. I’d love to know what you think!
Take care,
xo
Ciao for now,
Rpz
Julie Johnson — Reply
Thanks for the tips! I do see it says add half the dressing in the instructions. And it is a large salad! I’d say the recipe without doubling serves 8-10 as a side dish. I used I head of iceberg, 1/2 head of radicchio, and 1/2 of a large bag of spinach. The rest of the ingredients as is. Then cut the dressing recipe in half. Everyone loved it! I do feel the dressing needs some tweaking. It’s very tangy with the lemon and sour cream. Maybe a little honey? But I’ll definitely make this again!
Roz — Reply
Great advice Julie! For those who want less lemon flavor, that is a superb recommendation. I believe that I’ll adjust the recipe to say “3 – 4” Tbsps. of lemon juice so that gives others a heads up to go slow adding the lemon juice. I’ll do the same with the sour cream. All in all, you are quite the cook! Knowing how to adjust recipes is quite a feat and not that easy to do! Congratulations and thank YOU for sharing. I’ll insert a quote from your review!
Ciao for now and buon appetito,
XO,
Roz
Julie Johnson — Reply
I’ve noticed almost all the comments are from people who have not made the recipe! Pet peeve of mine. I was going to make this for 8 people, but that required 4 c of sour cream?! That doesn’t seem accurate. Did you actually try the recipe? Or just copycat it?
Roz — Reply
Hi Julie,
Oh yes, I have made this recipe. I never post anything that has not been prepared by my own hands. I agree with you that people do alot of copying and pasting . . . and it is maddening. People ‘lift’ my recipes all of the time and that is infuriating!
Now about this recipe: when you click on the 2X box at the top to ‘double’ the 4 servings to 8 servings, just take a look at how many dry ingredients are going into this dish. One heck of a lot! I recommend this Julie: Add only ½ of the dressing ingredients (which reduces the sour cream to 2 cups instead of 4 cups) and then add more if you prefer it.
Ella — Reply
Always love a great salad. I have never had this before.
Roz — Reply
It is a delicious salad; probably not for everyone, but for thousands of people, it’s a keeper!
Thanks for stopping by,
Ciao,
Roz
Mary — Reply
I have never eaten there but this looks really tasty! I think I am going to have to try this.
Roz — Reply
I hope that you do try it Mary. It’s as close to the real deal that a recipe can get!
Thanks for stopping by,
Ciao,
Roz
Nanci — Reply
I felt the dressing was missing something, so I added some anchovies paste and also a little sugar to counteract the sourness of the lemon and sour cream. I blended all of it in a blender which really helped to blend the basil into the dressing.
Roz — Reply
Thank youfor the tips Nanci! I am certainly going to try those when I make this salad again! Plus I know that I’d love the extra anchovy flavor!
I appreciate this very much!Roz
mjskitchen — Reply
Chopped salad is something I always order, but I never make it at home. Now why is that? 🙂 Now that we’re not eating out it’s a perfect time for me to change that and this recipe looks like a great place to start. Have never been to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, but it sure looks like I’d love its salad. Loaded with goodness and how can one go wrong with a lemon basil dressing? Thanks for making this Roz and then sharing. I was in need of a new hearty salad.
Roz — Reply
Thanks MJ. I appreciate your insight so much! It is a delightful salad and I take none of the credit for it. If you try it, I hope that you enjoy!
Ciao,
Roz
2pots2cook — Reply
Beautiful, vibrant and healthy office lunch. Pinned fr later ! Thank you Roz !
Roz — Reply
You’re welcome! It’s a keeper that I hope you enjoy!
Ciao,
Roz
Nancy — Reply
Hi, I plan to make this today . Looks so delicious! This may be a dumb question but here goes- when measuring the greens, pack them, then chop? Or chop then pack? Makes a difference, right? Thanks so much! I plan to double the recipe Bc I love leftovers!
Roz — Reply
Hi Nancy,
Good question. You chop the lettuce and ingredients first and then you pack them in tightly.
You’re going to love this! Please let me know what you think.Ciao,
Roz
Claudia — Reply
This is one of my all time favorites cwntvwait to make this
Roz — Reply
Claudia,
I feel the same way. I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as my family does.
Ciao,
Roz
Meleesa — Reply
What brand of fried onions do you recommend for the salad ?
Roz — Reply
Meleesa,
That’s a really good question! Try “French’s” brand. It will work great in this recipe.
Roz
Vanessa — Reply
Thanks for sharing! Does the dressing keep long?
Roz — Reply
Hi Vanessa, Since the dressing is fresh and without any preservatives, I wouldn’t use this beyond one week (refrigerated). Great question, thanks!!!!
Ciao,
Roz
Suzanne — Reply
This looks so good! I love the variety that goes into this salad! This dressing would be good on other salads too!
Roz — Reply
You’re absolutely right, Suzanne and I will take your advice and try it on other salad creations!
CIao,
Roz
Victoria — Reply
5 stars all the way! Love Ruth Chris’ chopped salad, my favorite indeed. My favorite steak place also, although I only get to savor their yummy steaks maybe twice a year…thank you so much for this excellent recipe!
Roz — Reply
Victoria,
I’m happy to share this with you and appreciate your stopping by and for leaving such a nice comment!
Ciao,
Roz
Joanie — Reply
Also don’t see blue cheese in ingredient list
Roz — Reply
Joanie, the blue cheese crumbles are listed in the ingredients underneath ‘green olives’.
Kathy — Reply
This looks great. I’ve only eaten at a Ruth’s Chris restaurant one time, since we don’t have one in my town. I agree with Kym Ely, the steak I had was good, but I can make a better one at home. The salad I had that night with the steak was their Caesar salad. It was the best Caesar salad I have ever had in my life. If you ever come up with a copy cat of their Caesar dressing, I would love to try that recipe.!! ?
Sandie Mac — Reply
Yes, please share!!
Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina — Reply
Hi Sandie,
I’m still on the prowl looking for the recipe. As soon as I find it, I’ll be happy to share it!
Ciao,
Roz
Roz — Reply
Hi Kathy,
You’ve got a deal: I’ll look for the recipe for their Caesar and let you know! I love fun (and delicious) challenges! And I’d love to know how you prepare such wonderful steaks at home! that’s impressive!
Ciao,
Roz
Kym Ely — Reply
I have to say that Ruth Chris is not my favorite for steaks, but everything else I’ve had from there was delicious. (Went to the downtown location and felt it was overrated.) Well you make this salad sound so good that I’m going to have to try it.
Roz — Reply
Hi Kym,
I totally understand that we have bad experiences where others may have had good experiences. All I know is that I love, love, love the house chopped salad at Ruth’s and wanted to be able to prepare it at home. Again, if this isn’t the real recipe, I think it is pretty darn close and I do recommend it. It would be so great if you could let me know what you think and what you felt needed to be changed from this ‘copycat’ recipe (it’s not mine and I make sure that I make that known to everyone). Let me know also, if you don’t mind, what your favorite restaurants, even if local which my husband and I prefer over chains.
Thanks for writing to me, Kym!
Roz
Helen Tugbang — Reply
I’m really getting hungry reading this recipe. I cant wait to prepare it tomorrow. I love salad . Your recipe looks so delish
And beautifully arranged . Yummm Thanx for sharing ..Roz — Reply
Helen,
Please send me a photo and let me know what you think of this copycat recipe please!
Ciao, Roz
Foodiewife — Reply
This salad dressing sounds amafzing. What a beautiful salad..
Roz — Reply
Thanks Debby,
So nice to have you stop by, you’re an excellent cook and I appreciate your thoughts!
Ciao,
Roz
Karen (Back Road Journal) — Reply
Pinned the recipe as I’m a real salad person. One question, about how much basil did you use in the dressing?
Roz — Reply
Hi Karen,
Use ½ cup of basil, but it’s always a taste thing. I know you’ll love this since you are such a salad-lover!
Ciao,
RozNikki Krakauer “JustTabandMe” — Reply
This was fabulous!!! Since you’re a texture nut like I am, try toasted Pine Nuts? I use the almost as much as use slivered or sliced almonds!!! The artichoke hearts really added something! Thanks for posting this!!!
Roz — Reply
Nikki,
I’m so thrilled to hear that you made this wonderful chopped salad and that you had delicious results. I’m happy to share the recipe with you. I had nothing to do with this recipe development, but do want to see that my readers get their hands on outstanding recipes. This is one of them!
Ciao,
Roz
2 Sisters Recipes — Reply
We love Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse salads and love this chop salad ! Pinning this recipe!!
Thanks Roz- have a great week!Roz — Reply
Thanks Liz and Anna!
Ciao,
Roz
angiesrecipes — Reply
Seems simple to prepare and looking so very appetizing!
Roz — Reply
Hi Kathy,
You are so right! I apologize for that error! I have made the correction so that you can see what goes into the dressing and what goes into the salad itself. I appreciate your kindness so much! I hope you enjoy this copycat version of the chopped salad from Ruth’s. It’s so delicious and so EASY! Please let me know what you think and snap a picture if you’d like me to share it on the blog!
Ciao,
Roz xoRoz — Reply
It really is simple Angie!
Ciao,
Roz
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