Before September hits and we all start dreaming about cozy soups and all of the pumpkin recipes, I had to share a brand new chopped salad recipe that truly checks all of the boxes.
We shared a Reel of this delicious, crave-able salad last summer and it’s a little ode to Chicago. Say hello to the best-ever copycat Portillo’s chopped salad recipe. It’s crunchy, savory, super flavorful, and such a fun pasta salad to meal prep for lunch or whip up for a BBQ.
There are tons of easy ways to customize this salad and it’s the perfect clean-out-the-fridge meal for busy weeks. Hold onto summer with your new fav salad recipe!
Wait, what is Portillo’s?
Fellow Chicagoans will recognize this famous fast-casual restaurant that’s been serving up Italian beef sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, shakes, and more since 1963. One of the most popular things on the menu besides the sandwiches is their loaded chopped salad. This baby is HUGE and makes the perfect side or main when you’re there, so you know I had to re-create it for the blog.
Everything you’ll need to make the Portillo’s chopped salad at home
As I mentioned, this is a loaded chopped salad filled with tons of delicious, crunchy, savory ingredients. Everything gets tossed in their house dressing, which I recreated with a light vinaigrette. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bacon: we’re starting off on a savory note with crispy chopped bacon. Learn how to cook bacon in the oven here! You can also use turkey bacon for a lighter version.
- Pasta: the Portillo’s chopped salad has cute ditalini pasta, which is what I used as well! Feel free to use any short pasta shape that you like.
- Vegetables: we’re gettin’ crunchy and bright with romaine lettuce, red cabbage, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and green onion.
- Chicken: get a delicious boost of protein from diced chicken breast.
- Cheese: gorgonzola cheese crumbles bring an extra flavor boost to the salad.
- For the dressing: the AK “house” vinaigrette is made with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, a little maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, dried oregano, salt & pepper.
Customize your salad
I love a good chopped salad because it’s super easy to customize with what you have on hand. Truly a clean-out-the-fridge meal. Here are some easy ways to make it your own:
- Go vegetarian: simply omit the chicken and bacon and add in a can of chickpeas.
- Keep it gluten free: use your favorite gluten free pasta shape.
- Choose your cheese: to keep it dairy free feel free to omit the cheese, otherwise feta, shaved parmesan, or even cubed cheddar cheese or provolone would be perfect.
- Pick your veggies: you can also use more of one veggie than another, or throw in whatever you have in your fridge like cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, avocado, or even shredded brussels sprouts.
Easy ways to cook your chicken
This copycat Portillo’s chopped salad is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken (like a rotisserie chicken!), otherwise, check out all of our easy ways to cook chicken here to add it to the salad.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Absolutely! Feel free to make the full salad without the dressing 1-2 days ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to toss it and serve.
Otherwise, I’d recommend chopping up all of your veggies and cooking your chicken, then storing them separately in the fridge before assembling.
Storing tips
Store any leftover chopped salad in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. If you’re meal prepping, I recommend leaving off the dressing until you’re ready to serve so the lettuces don’t get soggy.
More salad recipes you’ll love
- Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Cabbage Salad
- Damn Good BLT Pasta Salad with Creamy Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
- Summer Glow Strawberry Kale Salad
- Herby Olive Italian Orzo Salad
- Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Get all of my salad recipes here!
I hope you love this copycat Portillo’s chopped salad recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Copycat Portillo’s Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 8 ounces bacon
- 4 ounces dry ditalini pasta (or your favorite gluten free short pasta)
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
- 2 medium-size vine-ripe tomatoes, seeds removed & chopped (or sub 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes)
- ½ cup diced green onion
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
- ⅔ cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles (or blue cheese crumbles)
- For the dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or cane sugar)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the bacon: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bacon in a single layer on the prepared pan and place in a cold oven, then preheat the oven to 425°F and bake until the bacon has reached your desired level of crispiness, 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the bacon). Transfer bacon to a plate-lined with paper towels and blot excess grease with a paper towel. Transfer to a cutting board and chop bacon into bite-sized pieces.
- While the bacon is cooking: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then stir in the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the package, then drain and set aside to cool.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl or a platter: romaine lettuce, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, pasta, chicken, bacon, and gorgonzola cheese.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar or a small bowl: olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Shake in the jar or whisk well in the bowl to emulsify.
- Pour the dressing all over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy! Salad will last 2-3 days in the fridge; if you’re meal prepping, I recommend leaving off the dressing until you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
29 comments
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use mushrooms and tofu and skip both romaine and iceberg lettuces as am not a big fan of lettuce i never had copycat portilos chopped salad before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Excellent copycat (from someone who has enjoyed lotsa Portillo’s salads). What’s w/ the red cabbage, tho? They offer warm grilled chix as an option, which is very good for a change up choice. Your dressing is better than theirs.
AH thank YOU, Anita. I am so glad you made and enjoyed this recipe.
Delicious! The dressing was tangy and flavorful. Adding the ditalini was something unusual and tasty. I altered some toppings to fit my family preferences. I have added this recipe to my saved ones and plan to make it again in the future. Thank you!
YUM! I am SO happy to hear that you’re enjoying this salad and it turned out great for you!
I wouldn’t describe myself as a “salad person”, especially as the main course, but I’m obsessed! I don’t have a Portillos, so I can’t comment on how accurate the recipe is, but I love this. I kept the dressing and cheese out of the main bowl and let the family top their individual bowls with their cheese and dressing of choice. I personally loved the vinaigrette, which is cool since I’m also not usually a “vinaigrette” person. Will definitely make again! The meat and noodles make it very filling as far as salads go.
Excellent! This makes me so happy to hear, I am glad you gave this recipe a try and are loving it!
Really flavorful & the texture is great! We used protein pasta (rotini) and it was still fabulous.
Yum! Happy to hear you gave this recipe a try and it turned out great for you ❤️
Absolutely spot on! Delicious! Always a hit!
So glad you love this one!
This salad is absolutely fantastic! The textures and flavors are unique and work so well together. It takes a little while to put it together, which is the only thing stopping me from making it every single day. It is definitely one of my top five favorite salads of all time. 12/10 highly recommend!
So glad you loved it! Feel free to do some chopping ahead of time (even the day before) to help with prep 🙂
Can I use regular balsamic instead of white? Thank you!
Sure! The dressing should still be delicious.
This salad slaps. I’ve had it for lunch 3 days this week and will definitely make it again! I couldn’t find white balsamic vinegar at the store but subbed with rice wine vinegar, which works just fine. The bacon and gorgonzola is just *chef’s kiss*. Make this!!
So good!! Glad you loved it!
super yummy
This is one of my favorite recipes from this site. I love the salad and make it all the time. I don’t tend to like leftover lettuce, so I turn leftovers into a hearty pasta salad with any extra dressing.
So happy to hear that!
While I’ve never had the original Portillo’s, I’ve made this twice in a month it was so good! It was a big hit at Easter and my family aren’t salad eaters! I’d say this is a perfect salad for potlucks or dinner parties because it will appeal to most people. The salad is adaptable to any veggies you have on hand too. This is a keeper.
So happy to hear that! Great for summer BBQs 🙂
I love this recipe and it’s quite a bit better when using fresh ingredients. The dressing is crisp and fresh and tastes great. I think in order for it to be more like the Portillo’s dressing, it may need some mayo and/or parmesan cheese. The color of the Portillo’s dressing is different than this recipe. But you can’t go wrong here.
Absolutely! And yes, feel free to add a little creaminess with mayo (I just prefer the freshness of the vinaigrette). Glad you enjoyed!
So delicious! Perfect summer salad. Left the dressing and toppings off and ate this through the week for a little lunch time meal prep. Added pepperoncinis and used gemelle pasta, so so good!
Love that! One of our favs for summer 🙂
Just made this salad! Absolutely scrumptious! I was so bummed when Portillos took this salad off the menu. This recipe is perfection. I will definitely make it again😀
Just made this salad! Absolutely scrumptious! I was so bummed when Portillos took this salad off the menu. This recipe is perfection. I will definitely make it again😀
AH I didn’t know they did! Glad I was able to share a copycat just in time 🙂