According to Wikipedia, Food historians do not agree on the history and composition of chef's salad. Some trace it to salmagundi a popular meat and salad dish originating in 17th-century England and popular in colonial America. Others contend chef's salad is a product of the early twentieth century, originating in either New York or California. The person most often connected with the history of this salad is Louis Diat, chef of the Ritz-Carlton in New York City during the 1940s.
Chef Salad is a Salad that can be served as a main course, consisting of hard-boiled eggs, a variety of meats, such as ham, turkey or chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese. Several early recipes also include anchovies. A variety of dressings may be used with this salad. There are many other Ingredients that can be added to a Chef Salad, you can add Olives, Red Onions, or banana peppers, whatever you have a taste for just toss it in. When I make this salad for my family, I serve it with Butter Garlic Croutons on top, also, my family prefers the Ranch Dressing over the Thousand Island. Whatever dressing you prefer, some folks like it with Blue Cheese Dressing, there is no set salad dressing for this salad. Just do you! See illustrations below.
GETTING STARTED - I USED ROMAINE AND ICEBERG LETTUCE
ADD HARD BOILED EGGS
ADD TOMATOES - IN THIS RECIPE I USED THE GRAPE TOMATOES CUT IN HALF
ADD CUCUMBERS, CUBED CHEEDAR CHEESE AND SLICES OF SWISS CHEESE
TO FINISH - ADD SLICES OF SMOKED TURKEY AND I USED CHOPPED HAM OF THE BONE
Like I said, there are many ingredients that you can add to this salad, in my illustrations I did not use onions, olives, or peppers and that is only because my family do not like them in salads. What I do for my own taste is put my extra's in my own personal bowl. Whatever way you construct this salad is up to you, there is no right or wrong way to do this. Give this amazing salad a try, you won't regret it. Enjoy!