Portillos is a whitish creamy sweet dressing .

Ive long thought pasta and lettuce salads should be combined somehowand this salad proves me right. Drain and rinse quickly with cool water so it doesnt stick together while it cools. Zoes Kitchen has a killer Greek salad that has pasta and potato salad mixed in it along with chicken and a bunch of other good stuff. Whos with me? Also, I believe chopped grilled chicken is in the original recipe.". I wouldnt want someone to pass on Portillos because the dressing is mediocre. The salad dressing is more of an Italian vinaigrette than Portillos creamy house dressing. I love it so much. Mel, Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss. I made this for a family dinner tonight, but it was a side so I omitted the chicken. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you for the AMAZING recipes! Ive never heard of Portillos (Im on the west coast). Thanks so much for sharing with us!!! Mel! This dressing is not exactly the same, but I love it! Im definitely going to have to try this one! Mel for president!

So excited to try this!!!! The touch of sweet in the dressing is the secret ingredient. California Personal Info Collection Notice. Have eaten Portillos chopped salad more times than I can count.

Reserve the rest of the dressing in the fridge for up to two weeks for other use. Love this salad! Perfect for a potluck side dish (you can easily leave out the chicken) or a simple but filling family dinner, this salad has skyrocketed to one of my favorites. Thank you for giving me a perfect way to cure my homesickness. This Sweet Italian Dressing makes THE BEST marinade for grilled portobello mushrooms I have ever tasted! No need to make anything else to go with this dinner! Id rather cook than just about anythingread a book, shop, get a massage. Try our springtime favoriteFresh Berry & Toasted Almond Salad its berry delicious!

Set aside. Ive included some notes below the recipe title check them out for info about how to store the leftovers and a few optionalvariations (for those folks that may not adore Gorgonzola cheese like I do dont worry, I still love you). The dressing is good but mine didnt turn out sweet its very vinegar-y.

I made the dressing with the olive oil and didnt love it; I tried subbing in mayonnaise instead and that was bomb for me! To Make the Sweet Italian Dressing: Place vinegar, garlic, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper in a blender. has been the most popular salad on our menu since the mid-1990's! Ive never been to Portillos but I think I can just taste this salad! I used a finely chopped kale mix from Trader Joes, and probably would have liked it better if I had mixed with some Romaine too.

Chopped lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, tomatoes, bacon, Gorgonzola (my love) aretossedwith the tender pasta and a tangy, lightly sweet vinaigrette. I have a recipe software that I try really hard to organize my thousands of recipes in. I used honey maybe I should have used sugar instead?

So many cookbooks, so many bookmarked, and tons on pinterest.

Ive missed it in the last 10 years that weve been in MN. Continue to blend until the dressing is combined and emulsified. Get this knockoff recipe for the famous (and delicious!) Kate and Sara are so great and Im honored you love the recipes from here thanks for letting me know! Serves well as a stand-alone meal or an accompanying side dish. I LOVED this salad I ate it for lunch nearly every day this week!!! I had to laugh when I read that you said So many recipes, so little time. Day = ruined (but quickly remedied by a little handful or threeof dark chocolate). Oh, this will be on the menu quite frequently.

I have made this recipe a couple of times and it is very close to Portillo's chopped salad. I feel I must disclose thatI have never eaten at a real, live Portillos restaurant (apparently they are aplenty in the Illinois area?) I am so totally and completely in love with your recipes!

Quick, tasty, filling dinner for the win! What wine would you serve with this salad? Tee-hee, Im your triplet and this blog is my greatest resource! This is FABULOUS!!!! Pirtillis is an icon of Chicago style food like hot dogs and beef sandwiches but this salad is my favorite thing in their menu! I added black olives and cucumbers. I am planning my day tomorrow around when I get to finish off the remaining salad. Forgot the bacon, but added avocado, so it was still a winner. I already had feta so I used that and smoked pulled pork instead of chicken. It is similar to the dressing found on salads at Portillo's and Maggiano's restaurants. DELICIOUS. Thanks for the recipe! Portillos chopped salad with sweet Italian dressing.

2) Use pre-cooked bacon (the real stuff, not bacon bits) or make this ahead as well. The Girl Who Ate Everything) post about it on Instagram. Loved this salad!

i usually do a 1 to 3 amount. Portillo's chopped salad dressing, however, does not look like this dressing.

Im typically not a big fan of vinaigrette so probably not the dressing itself but just my preference. I love the dressing and salad. So, so good. join 50,000 others to make cooking easy and fun! While the machine is running, slowly drizzle olive oil through the blender top or feed tube until dressing is combined and emulsified. Thanks so much! Dont skimp on the red cabbage, the color is beautiful and adds so much crunch. You could add more oil if you like though. you do half the work for me when you post the best of the best:0) Thanks for all you do Mel! If ever in Illinois, you must try this salad. Very well received! Let bacon cool, then crumble it.

Your blog is full of what you speak of I feel like I will never get through all of the yummy recipes, but I will die trying!! So delicious.

You are always posting such great recipes Mel!

I added a can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans and 2 cups of chopped celery. The salad ingredients are the same as Portillo's Chopped salad. It is very good and we really enjoy it! I love love love this salad from Portillos! You just made an (overdue) pregnant woman VERY happy!!

So excited to make it myself! Order your favorite spring salad online today! Thanks Mel! The Italian Dressing is from the Chicago Sun-Times. My sisters loved it and we all thought the dressing was to.die.for. Shortcut ideas: It takes some time to chop up and prepare all of the ingredients. I live in michigan now but I grew up in Chicago and have placed a LARGE order of this salad (and some Lou Malnatis pizza) with my family when they come to visit after the baby is born. Thanks for this comment, Lisa. This salad! I second the vote for using white balsamic I think it makes this dressing! So little recipes, so little time Freshly chopped ingredients, tossed with a sweet Italian dressing.

Just had some leftovers for brekfast. Being from Dallas, I have never heard of Portillos. I told them that your site and theirs were my favorites to go to for yummy recipes and they raved about your recipes, said if they needed a good recipe for their family they could always count on you. I love lettuce and pasta salad together too! Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Ive been making and loving the dressing since this post, but finally made the complete salad minus tomatoes and with small elbow macaroni VERY good. But imagine my surprise when I brought this gem of a recipe to a recent Fourth of July gathering and a guest remarked, This salad I so good! Who we kidding? The reason is that they are more syrup-y than other vinegars at least mine are. 3) Buy a bag of Dole salad mix and quick chop it. So good! There was just four of us tonight so I have leftovers. Design by Purr. I"m glad I made it.

To serve, you can toss the salad with the dressing before serving or, if you anticipate leftovers, add dressing only to the portions of salad served and then store the dressing and salad separately for fabulous leftovers. It is very distinct.

(also called Salad Macaroni), cooked to al dente and cooled. So happy to hear this from someone who has had the original and loved it. Im the worst person to ask about this Sallie since I dont drink wine. In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions. . Im literally putting my shoes on to go to the store and get what I need to have this ASAP! 2022 Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Is it the addition of the ditalini or the sweet Italian salad dressing? Now I dont have to wait!! Portillos is a Chicago institution, a hot dog stand that was started in 1963 by Dick Portillos in a small trailer with no running water, and has now grown to 47 locations. mary louise, I usually use the 1 3 ration also except when I use a balsamic vinegar, especially the white. Haha. Mostly, I love dark chocolate and joggers (not jogging). I seriously could eat this salad all day long.

With the blender on low speed, gradually add the olive oil in a thin stream. A copycat of Portillo's famous chopped salad. I also subbed Parmesan for the cheese because Im a Gorgonzola wimp. You are loved! Everything includes chopped romaine, iceberg lettuce, & red cabbage with diced chicken breast, ditalini pasta, bacon, diced tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese, and green onion, then tossed with our famous House dressing.

They are the go-to caterer for nearly every casual social event in the area. Great recipe! Add all dressing ingredients, minus the olive oil, into a blender and pulse to combine. Really disappointed because for those of us looking for an actual knockoff, this isnt close to the original dressing, which makes a salad. I dont see how you can go wrong however you customize this salad. Drain and cool. Just had to tell you that you gave me a good laugh. Ive never commented before but had to regarding this salad.

I need to try white balsamic vinegar. spicy chicken or pork dishes. Ive only eaten there twice (while visiting Camille) but it is so yummy!

Tip: If you make the dressing ahead of time and add a little bit to the cooled pasta and let it soak it up in the refrigerator for added flavor. I will never be able to even get close to making even a small amount of them. hahaTINA! I didnt make the salad yet, but I did make the dressing for a cabbage-chicken salad and it is a winner of a dressing VERY good. Holy Smokes! My husband and 2 year old can both be a little skeptical about having salad as a main dish, but they both just kept eating and eating. What a fabulous salad! The worry keeps me awake at night. I live in Idaho with my husband, 5 kids, and selection of weird farm animals. I was just thinking that again yesterday as I happily combined my spinach salad and pasta salad together at the Labor Day BBQ. I love gorgonzola so this was right up my alley thanks, Mel! Glad Im not the only one. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, and green onions. Cant wait to make this salad! Thank you for this recipe. Boiled Shrimp in Beer With Cocktail Sauce, Scrambled Eggs (Kinda Like Cracker Barrel's), Baby Spinach Chips - Kinda Like Kale Chips.

Ha, ha. Made this for lunch for the Garage Sale Crew at Church. He loves salad and this made the short list.

So MANY recipes, so little time, but you know what i meant. So many recipes, so little time. I love the taste of balsamic but not the look. 2022 Warner Bros.

Thank you so much for posting the recipe! I made the dressing exactly as written and it is fairly thick and not vinegar-y at all.

Oh how I love pinterest. I have half the kale mix and chicken left, so that will give me a chance to try it again. I have been wanting to make this recipe for a long time, but havent gotten around to it. It was better than popcorn. Their chopped salad is famous. I used 1 and 1/2 heads of romaine and 1 head of iceberg. Tried this tonight and LOVED it.

4) Use pre-cooked chicken slices and chop. One Year Ago: Peanut Butter GranolaTwo Years Ago: Thai Green Curry MeatballsThree Years Ago: Succulent Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Recipe Source: adapted a bit from Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything, posted on September 8, 2015 (last updated November 6, 2021), Your email address will not be published. I followed your recipe to the letter and its perfect! We had this last night, and loved it! I made this last night and the whole family loved it! This recipe's dressing does work with the salad ingredients. It tasted exactly like my favorite salad in the entire world! I have made this several times now. The best part is making it at home you can add in any favorites.

The dressing is a very good tasting balsamic vinegar dressing. We love them all.

I was so glad when I saw this on your blog & it tastes just as good as the Portillo salad & so easy to make! My husband asked tonight, Is this another one of Mels recipes? Cant get enough!

It was so good that my husband and I ended up finishing it off later that night after our kids went to bed, while watching a movie. Add dressing to taste right before serving so that it doesn't get soggy.

Oh, pretty healthful too.

. Have tried other variations with mixed results, this one was by far the best, my family liked it even better than the original. TheChopped Saladhas been the most popular salad on our menu since the mid-1990's! Add cooled pasta, bacon and gorgonzola cheese to salad. Dont know, dont care! This is why I love your site so much! Really, this Portillos chopped saladisquite simple. This salad starts with Tuscan Spring mix and chopped romaine lettuce, topped with fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, toasted almonds, grilled chicken breast, and is mixed with a creamy, light Raspberry Vinaigrette. Does anyone have another recommendation for a store-bought salad dressing that is similar , I cannot find the Marzettis sweet Italian dressing that everyone is saying to use? I dont know why..basic lettuce/tomato/cheese/bacon/chicken salad. I am always saying that to my husband. Thanks Mel!

It was loved by all. We loved Portillos when we lived in Chicagoland. its berry delicious! Agreed. Since I have long loved many of her recipes, her rave reviews put it on the to-try list immediately. Set aside to cool to room temperature (spreading it into a flatter layer versus mounded in a bowl will speed up the cooling process). Love you Mel, we are food soul mates! Ive been making a knock off version for years but I will cheat and buy the dressing they sell by the jar in their restaurants. Also, I believe chopped grilled chicken is in the original recipe. Thanks so much.

I made this for the family and the sister missionaries last night. It is an obsession, so I can totally relate. Thanks for this! Tip: If you make the dressing ahead of time and add a little bit to the cooled pasta and let it soak it up in the refrigerator for added flavor. Loved it! I love salad mixed with pasta. In Oct, we were in Chicago & had the Portillos chopped salad & it was yummy! All rights reserved.

I'm Mel! Cook bacon in a skillet until done. Now that you have tested the recipe and it has your stamp of approval, I am going to make it tomorrow! I admit I tried it because you had said you never had the salad before and I was curious how you would make something youd never tried. I made this salad today and it is addictive. Sidenote:sometimes I wonder how Ill ever try all the recipes that speak to me and find themselves jotted down on random post-it notes and catalogued in my brain and Pinterest (my brain is not as organized as Pinterest, btw). Im sorry the dressing was a miss for you, Ted. I spend hours doing this.

You must be my twin, Gina! Ive lived in the Chicago area my whole life. Thank you so much!

Tasty, festive, easy dinner salad.

Thanks, Dorie! Help.

Oh my goodness!! Keep them coming.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I dont understand why everyone is posting this recipe as a knockoff when they havent been to the actual restaurant to even compare. The Portillo salad dressing recipe tastes NOTHING like the original.

I just moved to Texas from the Chicagoland area and we miss Portillos (although I NEVER order a salad from there only Italian Beef!). So.little.time!

but knock-offs of their ever-popular Italian chopped salad abound on the internet and the pretty little salad calls to me every time I see it. Privacy Policy, This post may contain affiliate links. Everything includes chopped romaine, iceberg lettuce, & red cabbage with diced chicken breast, ditalini pasta, bacon, diced tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese, and green onion, then tossed with our famous House dressing. Being that I have about a million other recipes that shout my name, too, I didnt actually try the famed Portillos chopped saladuntil I saw Christy (a.k.a. I too have many, many recipes to make and try . I omitted the bacon and chicken from the salad, and grilled mushrooms instead. Pour half of the dressing into the salad bowl and toss to cover. Great combo of ingredients!! I made it for dinner tonight and it was a hit. Ive never been to a Portillos so cant compare but I was surprised how good the pasta in a lettuce salad turned out to be. Might have to invite some peeps over for a BBQ just so I can make this! I used White Balsamic instead of the regular.

It is similar to the dressing found on salads at Portillo's and Maggiano's restaurants. It tastes like a salad from Portillos! I about fell over! Mel, What brand of white balsamic vinegar do you like? Its fun to recreate things we cant have if we dont live in the area, so thanks for posting this. Did the prep early in the day and stored all ingredients in separate containers, built and tossed the individual salads tableside and everything was so crisp and colorful. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to two weeks. Add the cooled pasta, bacon, gorgonzola cheese, and chicken.

To me its more of a mustard base. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender or jar. Serve immediately. I have eaten at Portillos and while the salad ingedients are correct, the dressing is tangy not sweet. Lately Ive been buying the one from Trader Joes. Thats my main phrase in life. Weve tried four of your recipes for dinner in the past week and loved all of them.

I always check both when I need ideas or a new recipe! one question: is the vinegar/oil ratio correct? Loved this salad dressing! Required fields are marked *. It made enough for a few days. I especially liked the dressing, it was so flavorful!

Your email address will not be published.

Seriously, I need therapy. I dont remember if I ever told you, but I ran into the ladies form ourbestbites a few months ago . I ate the leftovers for two days and nearly wept on that third day when I excitedly opened the refrigerator for lunch only to remember that I had overeaten the last bit of it the day before. =). Yep, its correct for how I made this recipe I generally do equal amounts to cut down on the oil a bit. Love their pasta salad, but their chocolate cake shake is AWESOME! Its also fun if you can spill the rest of the ditalini all over.

The Italian Dressing is from the Chicago Sun-Times.

I love it in salad dressings as well as adding a little to things like chicken chili, i.e.

I honestly could live on salads like this!! I should have proof read that! While kids are at school and husband at work I get to eat the rest,all by myself!