Food and Recipes Dish Salad 7-Layer Salad Be the first to rate & review! Your party guests will love this side dish—and the trip down memory lane. By Amanda Stanfield Amanda Stanfield Amanda Stanfield is a chef and recipe developer in the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She's an expert in menu development, intimate and high-volume dinner services. She's versed in food safety, restaurant management, testing, tasting, and dietary restrictions. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 26, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 12 A 7-layer salad is as simple to make as it is crowd-pleasing, with an impressive presentation thanks to colorful layers. And the taste is so robust: savory, crisp, and satisfying. The bacon and the seasoned black-eyed peas add a nice smokiness as well as texture and heartiness that helps bulk up each serving. The dressing is super creamy and tangy. With so many flavors and textures in one dish, it’s hearty and oh-so-fulfilling—like a classic BLT in salad form. Whip up this dish for an al fresco get-together for a large crowd; it’s especially ideal as a potluck dish because it travels so well. 45 Perfect Summer Potluck Recipes You Can Make In Your 13x9 Ingredients for 7-Layer Salad Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke To make 7-layer salad, you’ll need: mayonnaisehoneyapple cider vinegargarlic powderkosher saltblack-eyed peascayenne peppersmoked paprikaiceberg lettucered onionCheddar cheesecenter-cut baconeggsgrape tomatoesParmesan cheesescallions All of the ingredients are readily available at typical grocery stores. Yes, There's A Right Way To Cut A Tomato—Here's How How To Make 7-Layer Salad The full recipe is below, but here's a brief outline of how a 7-layer salad is made: Make the dressing: To make a 7-layer salad, first whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and salt to combine. Cover and refrigerate the dressing. Layer the salad: Next, stir together the black-eyed peas, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and the rest of the salt. Put the lettuce in the bottom of a trifle dish in an even layer. Top it with red onions. For the next layers, top with Cheddar cheese, bacon, eggs, black-eyed pea mixture, and tomatoes. Garnish and serve: Last, spoon the dressing over the tomatoes in an even layer, sprinkle with Parmesan, and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve right away. 40 Vintage Salads You'll Find In Any Church Cookbook 7-Layer Salad Tips and Variations Sliced red onions can be quite sharp, and there are a lot of them in this salad. If you like, you can soak the sliced onions in a bowl of ice water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain them. This helps to mellow out the onions’ intensity and makes the flavor milder. You can make a 7-layer salad up to a day ahead of time. Cover it, and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Add the dressing and top with Parmesan just before serving. You could also mix the Parmesan into the dressing, but using it as a topper instead keeps the dressing perfectly creamy—and it also helps mask any unevenness with the layers. More Delicious Salad Recipes BLT Salad with Buttermilk-Parmesan Dressing and Buttery Croutons Chicken and White Bean Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette Lemony White Bean Salad with Broccoli Breaded Chicken Salad with Grapes, Honey, Almonds, and Broccoli Cucumber-Chickpea Salad with Feta-Mint Vinaigrette Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Ingredients 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. honey 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided 2 (15 1/2-oz.) cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups) 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika 8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce (from 1 small (1 1/2 lb.) head) 1 medium (8 oz.) red onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups) 8 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) 1 lb. thick-cut center-cut bacon, cooked and chopped (about 2 cups) 6 hard-cooked eggs, cut lengthwise into 4 wedges (about 2 cups) 2 cups grape tomatoes (from 1 pt. tomatoes), halved horizontally 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup) Sliced scallions Directions Make dressing: Whisk together mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Cover dressing, and refrigerate until ready to use. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Make black-eyed pea mixture: In a separate medium bowl, stir together black-eyed peas, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Start salad layers: Place lettuce in bottom of a 6-quart trifle dish in an even layer. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Add onions: Top with red onion slices, starting at edge of dish and working toward center. (This ensures distinct even layers.) Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Add remaining ingredients in layers: Top with Cheddar cheese, bacon, eggs, black-eyed pea mixture, and tomatoes. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Add dressing: Spoon dressing over tomatoes in an even layer. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Garnish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Make-Ahead Tip The salad may be made one day ahead of time. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Add dressing and Parmesan just before serving. Frequently Asked Questions Do I toss 7-Layer Salad before serving? Seven-layer salad gets its splashy presentation from the layered look. So you will likely prefer not to toss it before serving. Each portion will still have all of the ingredients together on a single plate for maximum flavor and texture. What is the history of the 7-Layer Salad? Seven-layer salad is Southern in origin. It dates back to 1950 when a version of it was often called seven-layer pea salad: Generally topped with mayo or sour cream, this salad typically contained eggs, bacon, cheese, red onions, iceberg lettuce, and peas. This dish was most commonly served at potlucks. How long does 7-Layer Salad last? Seven-layer salad gets more flavorful as it sits as all the flavors commingle. But some of the ingredients—namely the lettuce—will lose their texture. So it’s best to serve this salad within a day or so of making it. Rate it Print Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin