you're making mealtime meaningful.
The 1905 Salad isn’t quite as old as 1905 but the restaurant it hails from is. The Columbia Restaurant is Florida’s oldest restaurant – they opened in Tampa’s Ybor City in 1905, but the salad didn’t come along for a few more decades. Created by a waiter in the 1940s, the 1905 Salad was named one of America’s Top Ten Best Salads by USA Today, and one bite of that savory, salty, crispy salad and rich vinaigrette will convince you that it absolutely deserves that title.
This is no wimpy green salad. There are thick matchsticks of julienned ham and Swiss cheese, there are pimento-stuffed olives and artichoke hearts and giant wedges of juicy tomato, there’s even an extra helping of cheese in the form of finely grated Parmesan, but what ties it all together is the dressing.
See, the dressing is no wimpy dressing either. It’s not just a basic vinaigrette – sure it includes olive oil and vinegar, but it also has a hearty dash of oregano, four cloves of garlic, and two heaping tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. That Worcestershire sauce gives it a rich umami flavor and I’m convinced that’s the thing that keeps you coming back for more. (And more. And even more.)
Funny story, when the president of Lea and Perrins heard that The Columbia Restaurant was his biggest customer, he decided he had to try the salad for himself. Sure enough, he was hooked, just like anyone else who happens to try this salad.
If you’ve had it before you’ve surely been longing to have it again, but lucky for us, The Columbia Restaurant has made it easy for anyone to make it right in their own kitchen. No trip to Florida needed!
1905 Salad
Yield(s): Serves 4-6
15m prep time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the salad:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
- 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 cup Swiss cheese, julienned
- 1 cup smoked ham, julienned
- 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
- 1 cup quartered marinated artichokes, halved
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Preparation
- First, make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually beat in vinegar to form an emulsion, then whisk in salt and pepper. Chill until ready to use.
- In a large serving bowl, combine lettuce, tomato, ham, Swiss cheese, olives, artichokes, and Parmesan cheese.
- Add dressing, toss to combine, and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe from The Columbia Restaurant.