7 Layer Salad is delicious easy salad recipe loaded up with fresh veggies and lettuce topped with an delicious creamy dressing. Even better, this recipe is intended to be made ahead of time making it the perfect potluck dish!
In this easy seven layer salad, we often add in leftover chicken or turkey to make it a complete meal and use a flavorful ranch style dressing!
The Perfect 7 Layer Salad
It’s a definite crowd pleaser, everyone seems to love a good seven layered salad which is the perfect dish for every potluck! The best part is that you can make them way ahead of time (overnight is best)!
I’ve made a traditional salad in a trifle dish but learned it was so much easier to serve when placed in a 9×13 pan! You get bits and bites of every little ingredient with less digging and more digging in every bite!
7 Layer Salad Ingredients (and Variations)
- Lettuce I use romaine or iceberg
- Green Peas these add a bit of sweetness. If you’re not a fan of peas, sub out for edamame
- Bell Peppers add color and crunch
- Tomatoes add tang and are juicy
- Onions add zest and flavor, green or red can be used. If your red onions are strong, soak them in ice water for 30 min or so.
- Cheese adds richness, sub in any kind of cheese you’d like
- Bacon adds a smoky salty flavor, sub in smoked almonds if you’d prefer
This is a ranch version of our favorite salad, you can find a traditional seven layer salad here!
7 Layer Salad Made With Buttermilk Ranch
A lot of layered salads call for a simple dressing made of mayonnaise and sugar but I prefer to add in fresh herbs to give it more flavor. My favorite dressing is this homemade Buttermilk Ranch (I could actually drink it, it’s that good) so I created a version of the ranch dressing to add to this salad. You can make this with any kind of creamy dressing like Blue Cheese Dressing.
If you’d prefer, you can substitute a traditional layered salad dressing as well!
Traditional 7 Layer Salad Dressing
A traditional 7 layer salad dressing isn’t much more than mayonnaise and sugar. We add a little bit of sour cream for some tang and salt but both of those are optional.
If you’d like, add in fresh herbs (dill, parsley or basil are all great choices).
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (or to taste)
Add in Your Leftovers!
This recipe is great with leftover proteins added to it, anything from turkey to leftover Roast Chicken or even ham are delicious in this recipe!
More Fresh Salads
- Easy Italian Salad
- The BEST Chicken Salad
- Classic Wedge Salad
- Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Zucchini Salad (spiralized)
- Fresh Tomato Salad
Ranch 7 Layer Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups iceberg lettuce or romaine
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas defrosted
- 1 bell pepper red or yellow diced
- ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 green onions sliced
Ranch Dressing
- 1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- salt & pepper to taste
Toppings
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place the lettuce in 9×13 dish. Layer remaining vegetables.
- Combine dressing ingredients and spread over lettuce. Top with cheese and bacon.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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I haven’t made this exact recipe “yet” – but I have had it & it is so good. For those of us who prefer dried herbs or with out access to fresh herbs, it would be wonderful to have suggested measure amounts. There are many herbs I prefer dried, like dill weed & parsley. Thank you.
Hi Barbara, we have this guide on how to substitute dry for fresh herbs that might help.
Love you recipes!!❤
Where is the ranch in this recipe?
The ranch is the dressing Freddie. Enjoy the salad!
I Love the recipes that I see and would Love to start making and fixing and trying new experiences of cooking something or making a New dish that I have never done before.
I’ve made this for years and everyone enjoys it but no matter how long I drain the lettuce, pat it down with a paper towel, etc. it still is soupy the next day. Lettuce is still crispy the next day but I need tips to keep it less soupy. I finally have served the dressing separately.
Use a salad spinner. Nothing works better.
Would there be a substitute for mayonnaise?
Hi Debbie, we have only made this recipe as listed but you could try substituting it for greek yogurt, or you could skip the homemade dressing and use your favorite store-bought ranch dressing for this salad.
does the lettuce wilt some overnight I like mine very crisp. This does seem good
Hi Jonathan, it softens slightly from the dressing and toppings on it, but we haven’t had any issues with it wilting too much.
Sounds delicious!
I hope you love it Debbie!
Wow, my mouth watereth over! All of these delicious recipes are fabulous. Can’t wait to make!
Thanks Mark! Have fun cooking.
Why does this recipe pull up under Keto? You can’t do sugar on keto and peas are not a good vegetable because they are so high in carbs.
I can’t say for sure how you found the recipe as I do not have a keto section on my site.
Everything looks so tasty
Thank you Lori!
This looks incredible and insanely delicious! I’ll definitely make it next time I host a party or go to a potluck!
I hope you love the recipe when you make it Debby!
Just a question…. doesn’t the lettuce wilt overnight? I hate soggy salads….
If you use romaine or iceberg, it should stay nice and crisp.
Yup, this salad sounds delish, BUT 12 servings from a 13″ x 9″ dish equals about the amount (per serving) which you’d serve to a 5 yr. old! Let’s be realistic….I see this as 6 servings (for most adults), so calculate the Nutritional Info X 2. Also (personally) I would use light mayo & light sr. cream OR light Greek yogurt in this recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! As a side dish, ¾ to 1 cup of salad is a reasonable serving. If you are serving this as a main course, I agree, you’ll definitely want to serve larger portions.
This is enough for 12 people if you have it with other foods. I served it for 14 and we had plenty. We also had pizza, vegetable tray and wings.
It’s a great salad for a group of people and a total hit!!
Love the recipes thank you
I made this over the weekend. I had houseguests in town for my daughter’s baby shower and I wanted a make-ahead dish that did not require heating as people would be eating at different times. I served this with soft tortillas and most ate it as a chicken wrap. (I used a rotisserie chicken from the deli.) I will be making this again at their request but I think I will make a second batch of dressing to serve on the side for dipping.
I love the idea of adding wraps or tortillas on the side! Thank you for sharing!
Love the tip about putting it in a 9 x 13 dish!! Always have loved this salad but didn’t like digging to the bottom of a tall bowl.
Oh my gosh I love that there’s bacon on top! Love the flavors here, I’ve only seen Mexican and Greek versions of 7 layer dips. Fun idea!
Thank you Karen! I think bacon makes everything better! ;)
Gorgeous salad, Holly. I love the homemade dressing! I just want to dig in!
Thank you Allie!
I love layer salads like this! What a gorgeous salad for picnics, parties, and dinner!!! Love it!
Thank you Jocelyn!