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Did you know that you can make the “most expensive salad in the world,” at home, and for a fraction of the price? Introducing my Copycat $45 McCarthy Salad, aka my version of the classic Beverly Hills Hotel recipe. This salad is full of so many bright and vibrant ingredients, from a blend of lettuces to chopped hardboiled eggs and a combination of both chicken AND bacon. Plus, it’s all topped off with a roasted garlic dressing that will truly become your new favorite recipe. This recipe makes enough for four large salads, making it the perfect way to get the taste of Beverly Hills at home!
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Friends, I have a very important question for you: would you pay $45 for a salad? While that might sound insane (and like no salad could possibly cost that much), that is the real, true, menu price of the famous McCarthy Salad from the Polo Club at the Beverly Hills Hotel. This salad has been around since the 1940’s, when a regular at the Polo Club (whose last name was McCarthy) came in ordering a very unusual concoction of a salad, almost every day. He ordered a blend of romaine and iceberg lettuces, topped with grilled chicken, bacon, roasted beets, hard boiled eggs, sharp cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and avocado, all tossed in a creamy roasted garlic dressing. He ordered it so often that it eventually made its way onto the menu and was aptly dubbed the “McCarthy Salad.” Since then, it has become world-famous, not only for being the most expensive salad in the world (thanks to their special anniversary addition that included lobster, caviar, and gold flakes), but also because it’s that good.
I’ll admit, I’ve ordered this particular salad on more than one occasion. After all, being a foodie who was born and raised in Los Angeles, I’ve made it my personal mission to try ALL of the good food that Los Angeles has to offer. So, when I saw this salad starting to get buzz, I knew I had to try it. Since then, I have to say, I do order it every time that I find myself at the Beverly Hills Hotel. That being said, whenever there is the opportunity to make it even better (and for cheaper) at home, I will. That’s how this Copycat McCarthy Salad recipe was born.
This salad comes together at a sheer fraction of the price, and makes 4x the amount that the Beverly Hills Hotel version includes, which means that is overall a MUCH better investment. Whether you’re looking for a delicious salad for meal prep, or a unique recipe to serve to your friends and family, you will absolutely love this recipe — guaranteed!
What You Need to Make This Beverly Hills Classic Salad
- Lettuce: This salad comes together with a blend of romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce, and the combination of the two is absolutely essential to this recipe.
- Grilled Chicken: While this salad calls for grilled chicken, you could also use rotisserie chicken here. I recommend just using what you already have!
- Roasted Beets: Love them or hate them, beets are essential to making this salad recipe! I like to use pre-made roasted beets to make this salad even easier to throw together.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: You can make your own hard boiled eggs, or buy them pre-made (I love the ones by Vital Farms). Just be sure to separate the yolks and whites — this is essential!
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is the perfect
- Bacon: If you don’t love bacon, you can skip this. If you’re like me and you LOVE bacon, then you will love it in this salad. I like using no sugar-added bacon in this recipe.
- Tomatoes: I recommend using cherry tomatoes, but sliced Roma tomatoes also work well. As always, I recommend using what you already have!
- Avocado: Avocado is smooth and creamy, and no salad is complete without it, in my opinion!
- Chives: Now, I’ll admit — this is where the classic McCarthy salad gets a Kalejunkie twist. I love the addition of chives to this salad for a light and herby flavor.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is my favorite oil to use as the base for dressings. One, because it’s full of healthy fats, and two, because it has a rich and delicious flavor that truly enhances the taste of the dressing. Avocado oil is also a good option too, but the classic McCarthy salad calls for olive oil!
- Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is sweet and tangy, making it a delicious addition to this salad dressing. Don’t skip or substitute it!
- Shallot: Shallots may be small, but they’re packed with flavor, which makes them perfect for this dressing.
- Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar adds sweetness to this dressing, without the refined sugars, helping to perfectly balance out the sweet and savory flavors.
- Dijon Mustard: The Dijon mustard adds a tangy, creamy element to this dressing that is delicious.
- Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper: A pinch of salt and pepper adds the perfect flavor to both the salad dressing and the roasted garlic itself. Don’t skip it!
- Garlic: The best part about this salad dressing? Undoubtedly, it’s the roasted garlic. You’ll need one whole garlic bulb in order to make the perfect, fresh, roasted garlic!
How to Make This Bigger (& Better!) McCarthy Salad Copycat
To make this salad, start by roasting the garlic. Preheat your oven to 400 F and cut the top off of a bulb of garlic. Place the garlic onto a piece of tin foil and drizzle it with olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper on top. Then, close the foil tightly around the garlic and transfer it to the oven. Allow it to roast for 25-30 minutes.
Once the garlic is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before opening the foil and squishing the roasted garlic out.
While the garlic is cooling, prepare the meat. Cook the chicken and bacon according to your preferred methods and set them aside. Next, wash and chop the romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and beets, and add them to the bowl. Then, slice the cheddar cheese, hard boiled eggs, fresh chives, and avocado, and add them to the bowl with the salad.
Slice the chicken and bacon and add them to the bowl. Next, prepare the dressing. Add the cooled roasted garlic to a small blender alongside the rest of the dressing ingredients (the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shallot, coconut sugar, dijon mustard, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, then pour the dressing on top of the salad. Toss to fully combine, then serve the salad immediately and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Did you know that you can make the "most expensive salad in the world," at home, and for a fraction of the price? Introducing my Copycat $45 McCarthy Salad, aka my version of the classic Beverly Hills Hotel recipe. This salad is full of so many bright and vibrant ingredients, from a blend of lettuces to chopped hardboiled eggs and a combination of both chicken AND bacon. Plus, it's all topped off with a roasted garlic dressing that will truly become your new favorite recipe. This recipe makes enough for four large salads, making it the perfect way to get the taste of Beverly Hills at home!
Equipment
- 1 Blender a blender is necessary to preparing the dressing!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- ½ Head Iceberg Lettuce
- ½ Head Romaine Lettuce
- 1 Cup Grilled Chicken chopped
- 1 Cup Roasted Red Beets diced
- 6 Hard Boiled Eggs yolks and eggs separated and diced
- 1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated
- 1 Cup Bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 Tomatoes diced
- 1 Avocado diced
- 1 Bunch Chives finely chopped — this is not traditional, but adds a delicious touch to this salad!
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Shallot diced
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 3 Cloves Roasted Garlic
For the Roasted Garlic:
- 1 Head Garlic
- 1 Pinch Sea Salt
- 1 Pinch Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- To make this salad, start by roasting the garlic. Preheat your oven to 400 F and cut the top off of a bulb of garlic.
- Place the garlic onto a piece of tin foil and drizzle it with olive oil.
- Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper on top.
- Then, close the foil tightly around the garlic and transfer it to the oven. Allow it to roast for 25-30 minutes.
- Once the garlic is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before opening the foil and squishing the roasted garlic out.
- While the garlic is cooling, prepare the meat. Cook the chicken and bacon according to your preferred methods and set them aside.
- Next, wash and chop the romaine lettuce, ice berg lettuce, tomatoes, and beets, and add them to the bowl.
- Then, slice the cheddar cheese, hard boiled eggs, fresh chives, and avocado, and add them to the bowl with the salad.
- Slice the chicken and bacon and add them to the bowl.
- Next, prepare the dressing. Add the cooled roasted garlic to a small blender alongside the rest of the dressing ingredients (the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shallot, coconut sugar, dijon mustard, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, then pour the dressing on top of the salad.
- Toss to fully combine, then serve the salad immediately and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
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in your posts and I’ll re-share!
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