If you've ever had the iconic Stetson Chopped Salad and wondered how to recreate that sweet-savory, crunchy magic at home without a special trip to a specialty store, this pantry staple version is for you. I swapped in ingredients I actually keep on hand - farro instead of couscous, spinach instead of arugula, and a store-bought pesto dressing - and the result is a salad loaded with 50+ grams of protein per serving thanks to smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, and Greek yogurt. It's the make-ahead lunch that keeps me full and energized between filming days, and it comes together with things you probably already have in your fridge and pantry.
The original Stetson Chopped Salad comes from Cowboy Ciao, a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, where it's been a menu staple (and a cult-favorite copycat recipe online) for years thanks to its unusual mix of sweet dried fruit, salty cheese, crunchy nuts, and a creamy pesto dressing over couscous and greens. It's the kind of salad you'd expect to see on a special-occasion steakhouse menu, but I wanted a version I could throw together any day of the week using pantry staples - no special grocery trip required.
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Ingredients
This salad has two parts: a hearty base of farro, spinach, tomatoes, and smoked salmon, topped with a sweet-savory "trail mix" of parmesan, pepitas, and raisins, all tied together with a creamy pesto dressing. Here's everything you'll need.
- Farro
- Fresh spinach, chopped
- Roma tomatoes, diced
- Smoked salmon, diced
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Toasted pepitas
- Raisins
- LOVE CORN Sea Salt Crunchy Roasted Corn snack
- Hard boiled eggs
- Bear Pond Farm Pesto Basil
- Duke's mayo
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Buttermilk
- Fresh lemon juice
- Shallot, minced
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This salad comes together in four simple stages: cook the farro, boil the eggs, whisk the dressing, and assemble everything together. Here's how it goes, step by step.
- Step 1: Cook the farro: bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the farro, and cook for 30-35 minutes until tender but still with a slight chew. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside to cool completely.
- Step 2: Prep the hard boiled eggs: bring a separate pot of water to a boil, gently add the eggs, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath, then peel and cut into quarters or halves.
- Step 3: Make the dressing: whisk together the pesto, Duke's mayo, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, and minced shallot in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust - you want it creamy but balanced. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Step 4: Assemble the salad: start with the spinach as your base, then layer on the cooled farro, tomatoes, and smoked salmon. Top with a mix of parmesan, pepitas, and raisins (your sweet-savory trail mix), then finish with the hard boiled eggs and a scatter of LOVE CORN snacks.
- Step 5: Dress and serve: drizzle generously with the pesto mayo-yogurt dressing, or serve it on the side for meal prep. Toss gently right before eating, and add the corn snacks last so they stay crunchy.
Hint: cook and cool the farro ahead of time...warm farro will wilt the spinach and leave you with a soggy salad. I like to make a double batch of farro on Sundays so I always have some ready for salads and bowls throughout the week.
Protein Breakdown
This salad packs about 50 grams of protein per serving between the smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, and the Greek yogurt in both the salad and the dressing - which is exactly why it's become one of my go-to make-ahead lunches when I need something that actually keeps me full.
Substitutions
This recipe is easy to adjust depending on what you have on hand or how you eat. Here are a few swaps I've tried and can vouch for.
- Farro - swap in quinoa or a gluten-free grain blend to make this recipe gluten free
- Smoked salmon - not a fan, or feeding a vegetarian? Swap in shredded rotisserie chicken or a can of drained chickpeas for the protein instead
- Greek yogurt and Duke's mayo - use a dairy-free yogurt and an avocado oil mayo to make the dressing dairy free
- Raisins - if the sweet-savory combo isn't for you, dried cranberries or dried cherries work just as well
Even if you're not cooking for a specific diet, these swaps are worth keeping in mind if you're meal prepping for a family with different preferences - it's an easy way to make one big batch work for everyone.
Variations
Once you've made the base recipe, here are a few ways to switch it up depending on what you're in the mood for.
- Mediterranean - swap the pesto dressing for a lemon-tahini dressing and add kalamata olives and crumbled feta
- Southwest - swap the pesto dressing for a chipotle-lime yogurt dressing, add black beans, and skip the raisins
- Extra crunch - double up on the LOVE CORN snacks
- Kid friendly - serve the components deconstructed on a platter so everyone can build their own plate
Equipment
You don't need anything fancy for this salad, but a few basics make it come together faster.
A medium saucepan works for both the farro and the eggs (just not at the same time, unless you have two pots going), and a large mixing bowl makes tossing everything together easy without ingredients spilling over the side. I like using this large salad bowl (affiliate link) for assembling and serving.
Storage
Keep the dressing in a separate airtight container in the fridge, where it will stay good for 3-4 days. The farro can be cooked ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, and the hard boiled eggs will keep for about a week. For the best texture, store the LOVE CORN snacks separately and add them right before eating - they lose their crunch fast once they hit the dressing.
This salad doesn't freeze well once assembled.
Top Tip
Keep every component of this salad separate until you're ready to eat, especially the corn snacks and the dressing. It takes an extra minute of assembly, but it's the difference between a crunchy, fresh salad and a soggy one by day three of meal prep.
FAQ
It's a chopped salad that originated at Cowboy Ciao restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, known for its mix of couscous, arugula, dried fruit, corn, pine nuts, and a creamy pesto vinaigrette. This version swaps in pantry staples and adds extra protein.
Yes - this recipe was made for meal prep. Cook the farro and eggs, make the dressing, and store everything separately, then assemble individual portions throughout the week.
Not as written, since farro contains gluten, but swapping in quinoa or another gluten-free grain makes it gluten free. Double check that your LOVE CORN snacks and pesto are labeled gluten free as well.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pantry Staple Stetson Chopped Salad (High-Protein Version)
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD
- ½ cup farro dry
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 1 cup Roma tomatoes diced
- 8 ounces smoked salmon diced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ cup toasted pepitas
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ cup LOVE CORN Sea Salt Crunchy Roasted Corn snack
- 4 large hard boiled eggs
FOR THE DRESSING
- ½ cup Prepared Pesto Basil
- ⅓ cup Duke's mayo
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ shallot minced
- 1 teaspoon salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Cook the farro: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farro and cook for 30-35 minutes until tender but still with a slight chew. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside to cool completely.
- Prep the hard boiled eggs: Bring a pot of water to boil, gently add eggs, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath, then peel and cut into quarters or halves. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, Duke's mayo, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, and minced shallot. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Taste and adjust - you want it creamy but balanced. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Start with the spinach as your base. Layer on the farro, tomatoes, and smoked salmon. Top with a mix of parmesan, pepitas, and raisins (this is your sweet-savory trail mix). Finish with the hard boiled eggs and scatter the LOVE CORN snacks across the top.
- Drizzle generously with the pesto mayo-yogurt dressing. Toss gently or serve on the side for meal prep. The corn snacks stay crunchier if added right before eating.
Video
Notes
Why these swaps work: Farro has more texture and nutty flavor than couscous - honestly better. Spinach is milder than peppery arugula, so it lets all the other flavors shine. Store-bought pesto is a total game-changer for weeknight cooking. LOVE CORN snacks give you actual crunch (not the dusty texture of dehydrated corn). Raisins + pepitas + parmesan is the holy trinity of sweet-savory-salty. The Greek yogurt + Duke's mayo combo keeps the dressing rich while bumping up the protein. Meal prep tip: Keep the corn snacks separate and add right before eating so they stay crispy. Dressing keeps for 3-4 days. Farro can be made ahead and refrigerated. Protein breakdown: ~50g protein per serving (smoked salmon + egg + yogurt + Greek yogurt in the dressing).
