Layered Salad (Layered Overnight Salad), is the perfect easy side dish to make for dinner or take to a gathering - dinner party, potluck, bbq cookout, party, or holiday meal. A super easy salad that is made ahead of time, easily transportable and everyone gobbles it up!
The best part about this overnight salad is that you can make it your own, and substitute vegetables that you love. It is also a low carb and keto-friendly recipe!
Jump to:
You'll Love This Layered Green Salad
Quick and Easy Make-Ahead Seven Layer Salad
If you start counting you will see that is more than a seven-layer salad - it's actually eight! (if you include the dressing) 🙂 Seven Layer Salad is a traditional Southern dish that became wildly popular in the '50s.
The original recipe often had tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggs. Our layered salad has a more modern twist with artichoke hearts, black olives, and water chestnuts. Of course, you can substitute any ingredients you want (see below), but this is our family's favorite combination.
You can literally make this the day before and forget about it making it perfect if you are having company over, or head out the next day to a cookout/party.
If you are serving your family for a weeknight side dish, make it in a 13 x 9 pan and only take out what you want to eat. Mix the dressing on your plate. Once the dressing is tossed into the salad and mixes with lettuce, the lettuce will start to get soggy.
Again, as long as you don't mix your dressing into the salad you can make this salad for dinner then pack up a serving for your lunch the next day! I've done this many times and even added hard-boiled egg or diced chicken and made it a full meal. It couldn't be easier. Love it!
Family Friendly Recipe
I'm always on the hunt for family-friendly recipes! Luckily everyone in our loves salads, except for one of our kids. 4 out of 5 is not bad in our house! 🙂
A Healthy Side Salad That's Pretty
Of course, because this dish is loaded with vegetables it makes it a healthy side salad. Because there is mayonnaise and sour cream on top it will add fat. This is good if you are following a ketogenic diet, but if you want lower fat substitute light mayonnaise and light sour cream.
There's no denying that this is a pretty salad. If layering into a clear flat bowl or a trifle dish it will really show the layers and color variations of the vegetables. A perfect presentation to impress people!
Layered Side Salad For a Crowd
This salad serves from 10 to 12 people so it is a great layered side salad for a crowd.
This salad is built for potlucks and parties because it's so easy to make and it makes a dramatic presentation if you layer in a clear glass trifle dish or flat bowl!
Make It Your Own Layered Green Salad
Easily substitute veggies that you love! Great substitutes for the artichoke hearts and black olives are cauliflower and broccoli. If you don't love water chestnuts substitute celery. These both add a crispy crunch that's yummy. Tomatoes and cucumbers add a nice fresh taste also.
If you want more protein, add sliced hard-boiled eggs. If you don't like red onion, substitute sliced green onions. The more colors you use the more dramatic the layers in your dish too. Just play around and see what works for you!
Another thing I often do is mix in fresh or dried herbs to my dressing. My favorites are parsley, dill, and thyme. So good!
Here are some suggested substitutions:
- 1 can water chestnuts ⇒ 1/2 cup celery
- artichoke hearts ⇒ 1 cup broccoli or cauliflower florets (small florets), or 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- black olives ⇒ 1 cup broccoli or cauliflower florets (small florets), or 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
A Low Carb and Keto Layered Salad
20.5 g fat | 7 g net carbs | 6.7 g protein
This could definitely be considered a low carb and keto salad.
With 20.5 grams of fat, and 7g net carbs, and 6.7 g protein, it fits nicely in with a low carb and ketogenic diet. Yay! It is actually a meal on its own.
Peas do add some carbohydrates to this salad. However, the amount of peas per serving is only about 1 ounce. Peas have approximately 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1.6 grams of dietary fiber, so 2.4 net carbs.
Peas are included in the nutrition facts below. If the carbs are too high remove peas and replace them with another vegetable!
Want more low carb and easy keto dinner recipes? Check out my post Fast and Easy Dinner Ideas, (HERE)
Ingredients and Tools
Here are the ingredients that you will need to make layered overnight salad:
- 8 cups leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 10 oz frozen peas
- 1 (3 oz) can water chestnuts (sliced)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other favorite cheese) (reserve 1/4 cup for the top)
- 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 2.25 oz can black olives (sliced)
- 1 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (reserve 1/4 cup for the top)
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Step by Step Instructions
Okay, this is so easy and good you will wonder why you have never made this before! 🙂 Here are the steps to make this easy layered overnight salad:
Prep And Assemble Your Ingredients
Cook your bacon, cool, and crumble. Wash your lettuce, remove excess water. I use a lettuce spinner which makes this process super easy (My lettuce spinner is HERE).
Tear lettuce into small pieces. Thinly slice your red onion. Drain the water chestnuts, artichoke hearts, and black olives. Roughly chop the artichoke hearts. Shred your cheese.
Layer The Salad Ingredients
This dish can be made in a 13 x 9 glass dish, a clear flat bottom bowl, or a trifle dish. For the prettiest presentation use a flat bowl or trifle dish to better show the layers.
For practicality's sake (it's still pretty), it is much easier to serve portions out of a 13 x 9, and the dressing distributes itself better - you don't even have to toss. Serve it as is.
In your dish of choice, layer all ingredients in the order of the recipe - lettuce first, then red onion, frozen peas, water chestnuts, 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese, artichoke hearts, black olives, and bacon.
Mix dressing
Stir mayonnaise and sour cream together. Spread even layer over the top of the salad.
Refrigerate
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Serve
You can serve as is, or I like to pretty it up by sprinkling a little grated cheese, bacon crumbles, and parsley (or other favorite herbs) over the top.
📋 Printable Recipe
Layered Salad (Layered Overnight Salad with Mayonnaise Recipe)
The perfect easy side dish to make for dinner or take to a gathering - dinner party, potluck, bbq cookout, party, or holiday meal. A super easy salad that is made ahead of time, easily transportable and everyone gobbles it up! The best part about this overnight salad is that you can make it your own, and substitute vegetables that you love. It is also a low carb and keto-friendly recipe!
Ingredients
- 8 cups leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
- 1 small red onion , sliced thinly
- 10 oz frozen peas
- 1 (3 oz) can sliced water chestnuts
- 1 cup cheese, shredded (any kind) (set aside 1/4 cup of cheese for top)
- 1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 1 (2.25 oz) can sliced black olives
- 1 lb bacon, fried and crumbled (set aside 1/4 bacon crumbles for top)
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Prep and assemble ingredients.
- In a 13 x 9 clear glass dish, (or a large clear glass flat bowl) layer ingredients in the order they are listed - lettuce, onion, peas, water chestnuts, cheese, artichoke hearts, black olives, and bacon.
- Mix mayonnaise and sour cream together and spread over the top.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1/4 cup bacon crumbles.
- Let salad sit overnight, covered with plastic.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute your favorite vegetables in this recipe. See full post for ideas!
- This dish can be made in a 13 x 9 glass dish, a clear flat bottom bowl, or a trifle dish. For the prettiest presentation use a flat bowl or trifle dish to better show the layers.
- For practicality sake it is much easier to serve portions out of a 13 x 9 dish (and it's still pretty). The dressing distributes itself better - you don't even have to toss. Serve it as is.
- Do not toss salad until ready to serve or the salad will start to become soggy.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/10th of recipe (1 to 1 1/2 cups)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 20.5gCholesterol: 27.9mgSodium: 280.7mgCarbohydrates: 9.4gNet Carbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2.4gSugar: 3gProtein: 6.7g
Related Recipes
Enjoy these low carb and keto salad recipes!
- Low Carb Coleslaw (Dill Pickle Slaw)
- Blue Cheese Wedge Salad Recipe (Keto Salad)
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Italian Antipasto Salad Recipe
- Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans
- Grilled Shrimp Salad Recipe (Shrimp Louie Salad)
- Thai Peanut Salad Recipe (Low Carb Keto Salad)
How to Share This Recipe
We'd LOVE for you to help us share this recipe! Here's how:
Review our recipe
We love reviews! Please leave a review and a comment. Your feedback is appreciated! 🙂
Share Your Photos
Show us what a star chef you are! Take photos of this dish and share them! We'd LOVE to see them!
Upload a photo of this dish to our Pinterest pin
tag @seekinggoodeats and hashtag it #seekinggoodeats
Pin Our Pin
Share our pin and pin on Pinterest!
Pin me for later!
A simple make-ahead recipe, this low carb layered salad is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a party. It's keto-friendly and you can customize this salad recipe by substituting your favorite vegetables. Everyone loves this healthy side salad! A delicious keto salad recipe that will be your new favorite. #saladrecipe #healthyrecipe #lowcarb #keto #sidedish #ketosalad #vegetable #partyfood #bbq
Jen Koellmann says
I love this salad! It's hands down the best layered salad I've ever had.
seekinggoodeats says
Yay! Glad you love it! It's different than other layered salads because it has artichoke hearts and black olives - yum!
Becky says
This layered salad in amazing!! I made it for a work party and everyone raved about it! One of my new favorite recipes now!
seekinggoodeats says
Thanks! So glad you loved it. I love to bring it to parties too. It keeps really well, and you can make it ahead of time.
Alyce says
Peas are not keto...
seekinggoodeats says
Hi Alyce! You should try this Layered Salad it is super delicious!! You can easily remove the peas or substitute other vegetables if you like. Check out my post for substitution ideas! I have provide the nutritional analysis of the recipe which includes peas. When I follow keto I watch my overall daily allowance of carb, fat, sugars, etc. and make allowances where necessary so I stay within the limits. I always make the recipe as is because I have 3 hungry boys and a husband who love peas! 🙂
Pat Vaughn says
The recipe you have posted makes. Great layered salad. There are those who would probably argue that it’s not a strict keto recipe as it includes some higher carb veggies like the water chestnuts, frozen peas, and artichokes. One could easily add boiled eggs or other more keto friendly items. I would probably make my own mayo, too.
seekinggoodeats says
Hi Pat! Thanks for testing it out and glad you like it! The nutritional analysis posted for this recipe includes water chestnuts, frozen peas, and artichokes. In the post I mention that ingredients (and portion size) can certainly be substituted/altered to fit ones daily allowance of net carbs, fat, etc. that you are are striving towards. Eggs are a great option for adding protein and fat, thanks for the suggestion!
Kelly says
Just a quick question. Was wondering if you pour the dressing on top after making it and it sits on the lettuce overnight will it become wilted lettuce? Or should a family just wait to put dressing on it when they take it out to eat?
seekinggoodeats says
Hi Kelly! The dressing is actually a mayonnaise and sour cream mixture that is spread on top and it doesn't cause any wilting as long as you add the vegetables in the right layers according to the recipe. For whatever reason, the dressing on top preserves the crispness of the vegetables underneath so they don't wilt. So even though you make this salad and let it sit overnight, everything is tasty and fresh and all the flavors will have blended together the next day. When you are ready to eat, just dish up individual servings and eat. As long as you don't mix the dressing in the rest of the salad this will keep for several days. I make it on the weekends sometimes then I have salad to take to work for several days! 🙂 Hope this makes sense!
Regina says
I used kidney beans in place of peas and celery cause I didn’t have chestnuts. Guess it will be southwestern!
seekinggoodeats says
Yum! A southwestern spin on this salad is an amazing idea! 🙂 Let me know how it turned out! Enjoy
Stephanie says
This salad was at every pot luck in the early 80's. It's a great salad!
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you! 🙂 I love this salad, and yes I remember this salad being at every party. Flashback! LOL
Melody says
do you eat it alone, or us it like a dip for chips/veggies?
Kori says
Hi! 🙂 You eat it alone it's a stand-alone salad and it's so yummy! The layered of the ingredients keeps all the veggies crips so as long as you don't toss the ingredients it will last for several days. I often make it on Sunday then eat the leftovers for lunch during the week! Enjoy!
Breann says
I don't like mayo what can I use as a substitute??
Kori says
I would try a favorite thick creamy dressing instead. Try spreading sour cream over the top first to prevent any dressing leaking through. The dressing needs to stay on top of the lettuce and vegetables to keep the salad crisp. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂