The Stetson Chopped Salad is legendary in Arizona. Created by Chef Bernie Kantak at Cowboy Ciao in Old Town Scottsdale (located on Stetson Drive), it became so beloved that people started calling it the unofficial state salad of Arizona. I had it more times than I can count back when I was visiting customers in Scottsdale, and it never stopped feeling special.
Cowboy Ciao closed in October 2018, but good news: Bernie's salad is still on the menu at The Gladly in Phoenix. But, if you're not local, or want to make it yourself I've got a simpler version I do for myself at home.
It's true to the spirit of the original, with two swaps for ingredients that are really hard to find at a regular grocery store. I also have some modifications for making it more blood sugar friendly, like we do around here.
If you've never had this one, buckle up, you're in for a treat!
Quick Look: Cowboy Ciao Stetson Chopped Salad
A loving home version of the iconic Scottsdale chopped salad, with smoked salmon, pesto buttermilk dressing, and a sweet-savory trail mix.
🖐 Prep Time: 25 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes (couscous)
⏱ Total Time: 35 minutes
🥗 Servings: 4 as a main
💪 Protein: ~54g per serving
🐟 Cook Method: No-cook assembly (couscous boiled)
💚 Difficulty: Easy
Stuff to Know Before You Start
- The trail mix topping (parmesan + pepitas + cranberries) gets mixed together first, then sprinkled across the salad as one row. That sweet-savory-crunchy combo is the soul of the dish.
- The dressing makes more than you need on purpose. Use about half on the salad, pass the rest at the table, and save the leftovers for grain bowls all week.
- Plate it in rows on a long platter for the full Cowboy Ciao moment, then toss tableside or let people scoop straight across.
No Wimpy Salads Allowed
With 8 ounces of smoked salmon, Israeli couscous, parmesan, and pepitas all working together, this salad delivers about 54 grams of protein per serving. Serve it alongside a slice of crusty bread and you've got a satisfying salad for lunch or dinner.
The Three Swaps I Made (and Why)
The original Stetson uses three ingredients that are hard to find at a regular grocery store. Here's what I used instead:
Dried cranberries instead of dried black currants. Currants give the original its sweet-tart chew, but you won't find them at most grocery stores. Cranberries are a simple easy-to-find swap.
Love Corn instead of super-sweet dried corn. Bernie's original uses freeze-dried sweet corn, another specialty ingredient. Love Corn is a crunchy dried corn snack at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Target, and online. The crunch is closer to the original than fresh corn, and it's ready to go straight from the bag. Fresh corn sliced off the cob works, too, for a fresh take.
Parmesan instead of asiago. Asiago is sharper and nuttier, but can be hard to find so I opted for parm.
Make It Lower Sugar The cranberries are the biggest sugar source in this salad. Skip them entirely and you keep all the structure (salmon, couscous, pesto dressing, parmesan, pepitas) with much less sugar. The trail mix becomes parmesan and pepitas, and the rest of the salad still works beautifully.
How to Make Stetson Chopped Salad
This salad is mostly an assembly job. Once your couscous is cooked and your dressing is blended, the rest comes together fast.
1. Cook the couscous. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add ½ cup dry Israeli couscous and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Drain, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
2. Make the dressing. In a food processor, combine the pesto, mayonnaise, and chopped shallot. Pulse until smooth. With the blender running, slowly stream in the buttermilk. Add the lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and cracked black pepper. Taste and adjust.
3. Mix the trail mix. In a small bowl, toss the parmesan, toasted pepitas, and dried cranberries together. This is the topping that makes it a Stetson.
4. Plate it in rows. Spread the arugula across a long platter or wide shallow bowl. Arrange the cooked couscous, diced smoked salmon, tomatoes, Love Corn, and trail mix in distinct rows on top of the greens. Show it off before you toss.
5. Dress and serve. Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad and toss tableside, or let people scoop straight across the rows and dress their own. Pass the rest of the dressing at the table.
Tips and Make-It-Your-Way
Use the best smoked salmon you can find. This salad has only a few ingredients, so the salmon really shines. Honey Smoked Fish Co. is what I used that you see pictured. The texture holds up against the dressing, and there are no added sugars in the cure.
Toast your pepitas if they aren't already. A few minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat brings out the nuttiness and adds another layer of crunch. Watch them, though! They go from golden to burnt fast.
Swap the protein. Chicken or shrimp both work if smoked salmon isn't your thing.
Bulk up the greens for a lighter plate. If you want more salad and less couscous-and-grain energy, double the arugula to 8 cups for 4 servings. I've also used mixed greens when that's what I have on hand.
Make ahead. Cook the couscous, blend the dressing, and mix the trail mix up to a day in advance. Store everything separately in the fridge and assemble right before serving.
Cowboy Ciao Stetson Chopped Salad (Copycat Recipe)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Lunch, Salads
- Method: salad
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Pescatarian
Description
A loving home version of the iconic Scottsdale chopped salad created by Chef Bernie Kantak. Smoked salmon, Israeli couscous, pesto buttermilk dressing, and a sweet-savory trail mix of parmesan, pepitas, and dried cranberries. Serves 4 as a main dish.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup cooked Israeli couscous (about ½ cup dry)
- 4 cups arugula
- 8 oz smoked salmon, chopped
- 1½ cups diced tomatoes
- 1½ cups Love Corn
- 2 oz parmesan cheese, crumbled or shaved
- ½ cup toasted pepitas
- ½ cup dried cranberries
For the pesto buttermilk dressing (makes extra):
- ¼ cup pesto
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add ½ cup dry Israeli couscous and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, combine the pesto, yogurt, and chopped shallot. Pulse until smooth. With the motor running, slowly stream in the buttermilk. Add the lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and cracked black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
In a small bowl, toss the parmesan, toasted pepitas, and dried cranberries together to make the trail mix topping.
Spread the arugula across a long platter or wide shallow bowl. Arrange the cooked couscous, smoked salmon, tomatoes, corn, and trail mix in distinct rows on top of the greens.
Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad and toss tableside, or let guests scoop across the rows and dress their own. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
Notes
The dressing makes more than you need on purpose. Plan to use about half on the salad and save the rest. It keeps 4 to 5 days in the fridge and is great on grain bowls, drizzled over roasted vegetables, or as a dip.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 780
- Sugar: 23.2 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 33.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 70.7 g
- Fiber: 6.7 g
- Protein: 53.9 g
- Cholesterol: 104.5 mg
Joanie's Balanced Bites
Eight ounces of smoked salmon split across four servings delivers serious protein, and pairing that with pepitas, parmesan, and a fat-based dressing means you're getting protein, fat, and fiber working together in every bite. The Honey Smoked Fish Co. salmon I used has no added sugars, which is one less variable on the plate. With around 54 grams of protein per serving, this meal holds you for hours.
For a complete dinner, serve it with a slice of sourdough discard focaccia on the side. In Arizona citrus season, it pairs beautifully with a spiced grapefruit hibiscus tea mocktail, where the bright citrus plays against the smoked salmon and pesto. Want a deeper look at how I think about meals like this?
Browse more ➡️ blood sugar friendly recipes on the site.
Try These Salads and Bowls Next
If you loved this one, here are a few more to put on the list:
- Caprese Chopped Salad with Zesty Lemon Dressing for another composed main-dish salad
- Carnitas Taco Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette for entrée salad night part two
- Easy Teriyaki Salmon Bites for another way to lean into salmon
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!