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Looking for an easy House Salad Recipe that tastes just like the one from your favorite restaurant? This classic American house salad is packed with fresh, crisp veggies, crunchy croutons, shredded cheddar, and bold flavor. It’s the perfect starter or light side dish for any meal.
House salads are what I like to call “gateway salads.” They ease us into the world of raw vegetables by dressing them up with creamy dressing, shredded cheese, and—if you’re lucky—a sprinkle of crispy bacon. It’s a salad, but it doesn’t taste like one.
The classic American house salad will forever remind me of my mom. She loved a good house salad and passed that on to me. She asked for Ranch and Thousand Island dressing with every single salad she’d order and always used every last drop. I have her to thank for my love (borderline obsession) of mixing together different condiments (because one is never enough). Thanks, mom.
House Salad vs. Garden Salad
A house salad and a garden salad are often used interchangeably, but they do have subtle differences.
A house salad is typically served as a starter in American restaurants and usually includes a base of mixed lettuce, along with toppings like tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded cheese, croutons, red onion, and sometimes extras like hard-boiled eggs or bacon bits. It’s often paired with creamy dressings such as ranch, blue cheese, or French dressing.
A garden salad, on the other hand, tends to focus more on fresh, raw vegetables and leafy greens. It’s usually lighter, featuring ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and onions, and is commonly served with vinaigrettes or other lighter dressings.
By definition, house salads lean toward comfort and heartiness, while garden salads emphasize freshness and simplicity—but in practice, the two often overlap depending on personal taste or regional preference.
What Goes in a House Salad
You can find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
The ingredients in this house salad recipe include crispy lettuce (a mix of Romaine and Iceberg), cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, shredded carrots, sliced hard-boiled eggs, croutons, and shredded cheddar cheese. It’s simple yet classic.
Optional Additions
My tippy top suggestions include bacon bits, sliced red onions, and pepperoncini peppers. Beyond this, you can add sunflower seeds, sliced bell peppers, and avocado, but by this point, you’re in full-blown main course salad mode, so be prepared for leftovers (and a lot of extra prep!)
What Dressing Should You Add To A House Salad?
The most common salad dressings served with house salads include:
- Ranch Dressing – the most popular choice, especially in American restaurants.
- Thousand Island – creamy, sweet, and tangy
- French Dressing – sweet and zesty with a bright orange color
- Blue Cheese Dressing – rich, tangy, pungent and often paired with bacon or hard-boiled egg toppings
- Italian Dressing – zesty vinaigrette-style option with herbs and a bit of acidity
- Balsamic Vinaigrette – a lighter, slightly sweet option for those avoiding creamy dressings
Craving more fresh and flavorful salads? Don’t miss my Greek Salad and hearty Greek Chicken Salad, or switch things up with my Everyday Italian Salad and protein-packed Lentil Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette. For something a little more classic, you can’t go wrong with my Caesar Salad or fully loaded Cobb Salad.
House Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 cup iceberg lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, then sliced
- 1 cup tomato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- ½ cup matchstick carrots
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
- ½ cup croutons, homemade or store-bought
- ¼-½ cup ranch dressing, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Layer the lettuce in a salad bowl, then arrange the cucumber on top, followed by the tomato, carrots, cheese, eggs, and croutons.
- Drizzle with the ranch dressing (or salad dressing of choice) and serve immediately with extra croutons if desired.
Notes
- Shred your own cheese directly from a block for best flavor.
- Wash and dry the veggies thoroughly! I like to run my leafy greens through a salad spinner. Be sure to rinse them in cold water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
