With its gorgeous rows of colors and bright flavors, this classic Southern seven-layer salad is the perfect make-ahead dish for family gatherings or a church potluck. Served in a clear glass bowl that showcases all the beautiful colors, this layered salad makes a gorgeous centerpiece to your dinner table.
A Delicious and Classic Seven Layer Salad
Unlike most salads, you don’t toss it all together or stir it when serving. Which I know may seem a little strange! However, the beauty of this make-ahead Southern-style salad recipe is that all of the flavor from the layers meld together while it refrigerates, so the longer it sits, the better it tastes! When serving, you just dig down and get a scoop of all the layers of veggies.
Featured reader review
“Look No Further!! This is the one! SO GOOD! Everyone asked for the recipe!.”
Savannah
This salad brings back so many memories! I feel like almost every large gathering had one of these big rainbow bowls at the center of the table. Eye-catching, delicious, and such an easy way to eat some veggies, I love serving this salad at home or taking it to a potluck, or you could bring a classic creamy side that always disappears first. Pull out your trifle bowl, it works perfect for this salad.
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It’s such a delightful combination of fresh ingredients stacked in a visually appealing way. Starting from the bottom, you’ll find a bed of crisp lettuce, which provides a refreshing and crunchy base. Then you’ll find layers of celery, bell peppers, shredded cheddar cheese, and so much more! But the real magic of this salad is the creamy dressing made from mayonnaise – and I don’t even like mayonnaise.
Somehow the mayonnaise seals in the flavors as it sits overnight so that when it’s scooped out, you get a unique flavor that is not the same as just adding dressing to fresh veggies.
Since it does have mayonnaise, it’s not a great choice for a picnic. If you’re looking for something lighter and mayo-free, this fruity spinach salad hits the mark. If you want to serve a fruit salad instead, go with a refreshing fruit-and-nut combo that’s stood the test of time.
I love how easy this recipe is to customize. Traditionally its made with iceberg lettuce, but I prefer the color and flavor of romaine. This will work well with any spring mix or lettuce you prefer. Some recipes call for hard boiled eggs, but I have never included eggs in my seven layer salad, I prefer the crispy textures from the veggies. Feel free to make a few changes of your own!
When making this recipe, I recommend using a large trifle dish, or any large glass bowl, so your guests can really admire the meticulous layers. When assembling, make sure to leave at least an inch of space between the top layer and the rim of the bowl, otherwise it’ll spill out as you serve it!
Will This Salad Wilt When Refrigerated?
No! Since you use the leafy greens as your bottom layer, it stays fresh and crisp thanks to all the layers between it and the dressing. Some dressing will trickle down and be on every layer, but not enough to wilt the lettuce or make it slimy. Of course it will eventually wilt, but it will stay crisp for several days.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These are the main ingredients you’ll need to make this salad apart from other pantry staples listed in the recipe card below.
Fresh Produce – Romaine lettuce, red onion, bell pepper, and celery. You can make it even more colorful by using orange, yellow and red bell peppers. You can also use Iceburg lettuce. If you don’t want a strong onion flavor, then try using green onions instead.
Pro Tip: Make sure you dry the lettuce with paper towels or a salad spinner to drain off any excess water. This will keep the lettuce fresh on the bottom of the bowl.
Frozen Peas – Canned peas will be mushy. If fresh are available, they would be awesome, otherwise stick to frozen. Frozen peas are best! If you’re a fan, here’s another way to enjoy sweet peas in a creamy dressing.
Mayo – Use your favorite brand, mine is Hellman’s! Some folks use half sour cream and half mayonnaise which will totally work with this salad or you could even substitute ranch dressing for a different flavor. But the classic layer salad dressing is just mayo.
Simple Steps
Step One: Assemble the veggie Layers
Shred the lettuce into bite size pieces in the bottom of a glass bowl.
Step Two: Assemble the dressing layers
Stir the mayonnaise until smooth.
Step Three: Refrigerate
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This is essential, it will not taste the same if you try serving it right away.
Step Four: Serve
To serve, don’t mix it, just dig down to the bottom so that you get all of the layers. If you fill this all the way to the top of the bowl, when you dip the spoon down into it the salad will overflow, so try to leave a little room.
This is a great salad to take to cookouts or potlucks. Just remember that it has mayonnaise so don’t let it stay in the heat for an extended period of time.
How To Store a Layered Salad
In The Fridge: After assembling in your glass bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap until ready to serve. It will last for 3-4 days without getting soggy.
Traditional Overnight 7 Layer Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups romaine lettuce torn into pieces
- 2 cups red onion chopped
- 2 cups bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 cups peas frozen
- 2 cups mayo
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated
- ¼ cup parmesan grated
- 1 lb cooked bacon
Instructions
- Shred the lettuce into the bottom of a glass bowl. Spread red onion on top. Then add bell pepper, celery, and peas.
- Stir the mayonnaise until smooth and spread it on top of the peas. Sprinkle sugar on top. Add cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and top with cooked bacon.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, don’t mix it, just dig down to the bottom so that you get all of the layers.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can leave out the sugar.
- For more color, add red, orange or yellow peppers instead of bell peppers.
- For a milder onion, use green onions.
Nutrition
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Savannah says
Look No Further!! This is the one! SO GOOD! Everyone asked for the recipe!
Barbara Curry says
That’s awesome, thanks for leaving a review!
HESTER says
first time i ate this salad was at a ex boy freinds house i was wow over by his mom and salad and have made and ate it since ,love this salad,
Barbara Curry says
It’s a great salad to make when you’re trying to impress.
Beth Stamper says
This is one of my favorite salads! Very pretty and very tasty! I make it often.
Barbara Curry says
It really is one of those classics that never gets old, pretty enough for the table and always a crowd favorite. Love that it’s on repeat at your house!