This California Salad with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing has all the goodness of eggs, the crunch of fresh green veggies, and a creamy dressing to pull it all together. I loved creating this salad with a monochromatic feel and letting the eggs be the show’s star.
Want more great eggcentric recipes? Then try our Avgolemono Soup – Greek Lemon Chicken Soup; it is truly divine! Or try our Bacon Waffles with Eggs, divine for breakfast or brunch.
Disclosure: I was compensated by Egg Farmers of Alberta for this post. All opinions and experiences are my own.
This California Salad is filled with produce from California, like Romaine lettuce, avocados, celery, and more; plus, it has bright, sunny eggs that remind me of sunshine. The last link is that ranch salad dressing started in California, and jalapenos are from a close neighboring country.
Eggs are a fast, easy, economical, and nutritious way to feed your family for not only breakfast and lunch but for dinner, too. Many recipes using eggs are well under the 30-minute mark, so you have a meal on the table or in the lunchbox in no time. Above all, they pack a big wallop of protein in such a small and nutrient-dense package. This salad is a great example, as it can be a complete meal on its own.
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
What is in a California Salad?
Really simple ingredients, but the key is freshness!
Ingredients
Salad
- Romaine lettuce
- English cucumber, thinly sliced
- Snap peas, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Green onions, sliced
- Celery, sliced
- Avocados, sliced
- Eggs, boiled with “jammy” yolks, sliced into quarters
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Dressing
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Lime
- Green onion, sliced
- Jalapeno, finely chopped with seeds and ribs if you like it spicy
- Garlic, or garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Onion powder
- Dried dill
- Dried parsley
- Fresh ground pepper
How to Make California Salad
To cook the eggs using an Instant Pot: set the time for 3 minutes and natural release for 2 minutes. Then quick release.
To cook the eggs in the traditional method: place the eggs in a pot with a lid and pour in cool water until the eggs are fully submerged. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once the water is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover, and allow the eggs to sit in the water for 6 minutes for medium boiled. (Cook extra eggs to have them on hand for other dishes or for snacks).
After cooking the eggs using either method, place them in a bowl filled with ice and water to stop the cooking process. Then drain and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients into a large measuring cup. Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, blend until smooth. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the salad, wash the Romaine lettuce. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces and place them in a large salad bowl. Add the sliced cucumber, snap peas, green onions, celery, and avocados to the bowl.
Spoon as much of the dressing as you like into the bowl and gently toss to coat. You can add more dressing, but you can’t take it away, so add a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.
Place the sliced eggs on top of the tossed salad and sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Recipe Pro Tips!
Can I Boil My Eggs Ahead of Time?
Yes, you sure can have them ready to go! One easy way to add eggs to any meal is to have them boiled and ready in your fridge to use at any time. They are great in salads like we showed you today, but also make an amazing egg salad for when you are busy!! One of my favorite snacks is to grab an egg, as they are so full of protein that they are a snack that lasts and helps keep you sated.
What can I Serve with this Salad?
You can serve this salad with some crusty bread, garlic bread, tortilla chips, or crackers. You can also go the traditional route of serving this salad with soup or a sandwich.
LOVE EGGS AND WANT MORE RECIPES?
We love making recipes with eggs as they are so simple to use. Economical and delicious, too.
California Salad with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
Video
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 head Romaine lettuce
- 1 medium English cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 cup snap peas cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 2 avocados sliced
- 3 eggs boiled with “jammy” yolks, sliced into quarters
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish
Dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp sour cream
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 green onion sliced
- 2 Tbsp jalapeno finely chopped with seeds and ribs if you like it spicy
- 1 clove garlic or ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- To cook the eggs using an Instant Pot: set the time for 3 minutes and natural release for 2 minutes. Then quick release.
- To cook the eggs in the traditional method: place the eggs in a pot with a lid, pour in cool water until the eggs are fully submerged. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once the water is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover and allow the eggs to sit in the water for 6 minutes for medium boiled.
- After cooking the eggs using either method, place them in a bowl filled with ice and water to stop the cooking process. Then drain and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients into a large measuring cup. Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, blend until smooth. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- To make the salad, wash the Romaine lettuce. Tear the leaves into bite size pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Add the sliced cucumber, snap peas, green onions, celery, and avocados to the bowl.
- Spoon as much of the dressing as you like into the bowl and gently toss to coat. You can add more dressing, but you can’t take it away, so add a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.
- Place the sliced eggs on top of the tossed salad and sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Juyali says
This salad recipe is a must-try! It made the perfect salad for our recent picnic. I’ll be making this again.
Elizabeth says
The thing I love about this salad is that it’s really filling – the avocado makes it extra satisfying too. It made the perfect lunch!
DK says
This salad was incredible! I love how jalapeno adds a kick of taste to salad. It’s great how you’ve added the instructions so it turns out to be a perfectly cooked egg every time!
Colleen says
This salad was delicious for dinner last night. A perfect meal for these hot days. Will make again!
Liz says
SO refreshing and delicious!!! Both the salad and dressing were outstanding.