This fully loaded Chef’s Salad recipe features rows of leftover holiday ham, hard-boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, and a rainbow of vegetables overtop a bed of chopped lettuce. Dressed in a homemade ranch vinaigrette, it’s a colorful and satisfying main dish salad!
What’s Included In This Post
Did you roast a ham for Easter or Christmas and aren’t sure what to do with the leftovers? Let me tell you, this Chef’s Salad with Leftover Ham is the perfect way to use them up! It just so happens to be one of my favorite leftover ham recipes to turn to after I make this Orange Glazed Ham.
There’s good reason to adore this chef’s salad recipe. It needs minimal cooking and can help reduce food waste. In addition to the leftover ham, this salad showcases plenty of fresh vegetables, cubed cheese, and hard-boiled eggs on top of a bed of leafy lettuce. I dressed it with my Ranch Vinaigrette for bold and tangy flavors, making every bite feel like a party in your mouth!
Chef Salad Ingredients
Your leftover ham and vegetables from the holidays will be put to good use in this chef’s salad recipe. But you can make it any time of year with whatever you have on hand.
These are the ingredients you need to make it:
- Crispy and crunchy chopped salad greens, such as romaine, iceberg lettuce, or butterleaf lettuce.
- Leftover ham. I like to chop the Orange Glazed Ham I have left from Easter or Christmas into cubes and layer it on this salad for another source of protein (while preventing food waste!). Any other kind of leftover ham, whether it’s deli ham, glazed ham, or baked ham, will work well here.
- Assorted vegetables, such as cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions. There are even more to choose from in the Swaps and Substitutions section below!
- Cheese cubes, such as cheddar, cheddar jack, or swiss cheese.
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Ranch Vinaigrette salad dressing. This easy homemade dressing tastes just like classic ranch, but in vinaigrette form. It’s flavorful and flexible so you can pair it with any of your favorite salads!
(full ingredient list and quantities listed in the recipe card below)
Swaps and Substitutions
You’ll be happy to know that this is a fully customizable meal! From the veggies to the dressing to the meat, everything can be made just the way you like it.
Let’s start with the salad greens. The romaine or iceberg lettuce can easily be switched out for the delicate greens of your choice. Go with a store-bought salad mix for convenience or combine your chosen greens with fresh arugula, endive, watercress, microgreens, or radicchio for added layers of complex flavors.
The vegetables on a chef’s salad are one of the most customizable components. Check out all of these veggies that can be layered on top of the greens:
- Cubed avocado
- Shredded carrots
- Sliced bell peppers
- Diced celery
- Diced red onions
- Sliced green olives
- Pepperoncini peppers
I know that a generous portion of leftover holiday ham is what makes this a true chef’s salad with ham, but you’re not limited to ONLY that. Go ahead and add shredded chicken (fresh, leftover, or rotisserie chicken), cubed salami, crispy bacon, or roast beef.
Did you make a roast turkey for the holidays as well? Shred it up and throw it on the salad next to the ham. Just like these 30+ Leftover Turkey Recipes, this chef salad recipe is another great way to use up the holiday turkey.
Lastly, the salad dressing. If a ranch-flavored vinaigrette isn’t for you, skip it and go with the original creamy version. Thousand Island dressing is also a reliable and traditional choice for a chef’s salad. You can even substitute my Easy Yuzu Vinaigrette, Homemade Caesar Dressing, or Creamy Peppercorn Dressing if you’re looking for a different flavor profile.
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Running low on time? Swap the homemade dressing for any bottled or store-bought dressing you like.
How to Make a Chef’s Salad with Leftover Ham
Follow these steps to make this satisfying salad:
- To start, make the ranch vinaigrette by mixing or shaking the ingredients in a small jar with a tight lid. Set it aside until it’s time to assemble the salad.
- Next, place the eggs in a small saucepan and fully cover them with water. Heat the water to boil. Turn off the heat as soon as the water starts boiling and place the lid on top. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath after sitting in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Chop the lettuce and place it in a large serving bowl. Arrange rows or piles of diced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, cubed ham, cubed cheese, and other assorted vegetables in rows on top of the lettuce.
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs, slice or quarter them, and layer them on the salad.
- When you’re ready to eat, drizzle the Ranch Vinaigrette over top. Serve the chef’s salad immediately and enjoy!
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: How do you like your hard-boiled eggs? For creamy and jammy yolks, let the eggs sit in the hot water for only 10 minutes. For crumbly and slightly drier yolks, let them sit for up to 12 minutes.
What to Serve with this Chef’s Salad Recipe
Chef salad with ham is a hearty and filling meal all on its own. All of that protein from the ham, eggs, and cheese will keep you full for hours!
If you’re serving it to a crowd, I recommend pairing it with simple sides, such as:
- Fresh bread, homemade focaccia, garlic bread, or dinner rolls.
- Anything you like for brunch, like soft and fluffy muffins, avocado toast, or a vegetable-packed frittata.
- All of the spring potluck essentials, like pasta salad and lamb chili.
Storing a Leftover Chef Salad
I recommend assembling and dressing the salad right before you plan on serving it. If it sits too long, the dressing will make the greens soggy and wilted.
If you’d like to get a headstart on this recipe, prepare the dressing, toppings, eggs, and greens up to 1 day ahead of serving. Store everything in separate containers in the refrigerator. Then, when it’s time to serve the chef salad, all that’s left to do is assemble and drizzle the dressing over top.
Any leftovers can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Chef’s Salad with Leftover Ham
Ingredients
- 10-12 oz salad greens, such as romaine, iceberg lettuce, or butterleaf lettuce, or about 8 cups
- 8 oz cooked ham, cubed into small pieces
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced or diced
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4-6 oz cheese cubes, such as cheddar, cheddar jack, or Swiss
- 4 eggs
- 4 green onions, sliced
For the Ranch Vinaigrette
- 1/2 tbsp ranch seasoning, homemade or store-bought
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
Instructions
- To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a jar with a tight lid. Shake vigorously until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve or refrigerate if preparing in advance.
- Meanwhile, prepare a small saucepan of water to boil the eggs. Place the eggs in the pot and fully cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat and place the lid on top. After 10 to 12 minutes (depending on preferred doneness) transfer the cooked eggs to an ice bath. Once cooled, peel and cut into slices or quarters.
- For the salad, begin by washing and drying salad greens and/or fresh vegetables as needed. Chop or slice the lettuce and arrange in a large serving bowl.
- Slice or dice the cucumbers and other vegetables (if using). Slice the cherry or grape tomatoes in half. Cut the ham and cheese into small, similarly sized cubes. Arrange in rows or piles on top of the lettuce.
- Add the hard-boiled eggs and drizzle with the ranch vinaigrette. Serve immediately for best results.
Notes
Nutrition
Chef Salad FAQs
What’s the difference between a chef’s salad and a cobb salad?
Side by side, a chef salad and a cobb salad practically look the same. Both are made with lettuce and topped with rows of vegetables, meat, and hard-boiled eggs.
A chef salad tends to be the simpler of the two since it’s made with everyday ingredients, like tomatoes, cucumber, ham, cheddar cheese, and/or bacon. A cobb salad has even more ingredients, like avocado, chicken, and blue cheese, and it’s traditionally dressed with red wine vinaigrette.
Is a chef’s salad healthy?
With a good amount of protein and plenty of vegetables, I’d say this chef salad is definitely good for you! Ham is a lean meat that’s high in protein and low in calories. Hard-boiled eggs are another source of protein (approximately 24 grams of protein total) and add a whole bunch of antioxidants that will boost your brain and eye health, like choline, selenium, and lutein. And with all of those vegetables on top, you’re treating yourself to a bunch of additional antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
As always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!
Questions & Reviews
Thanks Cara – ham is an underrated salad topping
This is the best use of leftover ham ever! It’s so filling and full of flavor. Love it.
I love this salad. Using real diced ham right off the bone really gives it so much more flavor.
This salad was the perfect way to use up my leftover ham! It was fresh, filling, and packed with flavor!
I make it at least a few times a month. Definitely the recipe that holds you up – a true boost of energy!