1905 Salad Recipe (Columbia Restaurant Copycat)

Recipe at a Glance

TL;DR for 1905 Salad (Columbia Restaurant Recipe)

Recipe Summary

The 1905 Salad from the Columbia House restaurant is a meal in itself. Loaded with Meat, Cheese, Olives and all the goodies of a satisfying salad.

Prep20m

Cook—

Total20m

0gCarb
0gFat
0gProtein

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If you were to ask me what salad is my go to all time favorite, it would be this one …

The 1905 Salad from the Columbia Restaurant!

I know it’s been about a week since I’ve posted anything, I’ve been battling the pollen and allergies and it was all topped off with spring break and a houseful of kids. But now we are back to routine and I’m anxious to get back on schedule with Little Figgy, and I wanted to start back with this gorgeous tasting salad, my favorite, the 1905 Salad.

The restaurant first opened their doors in 1905 near Tampa, FL. This salad was apparently created by a waiter back in the 1940’s and then in the 1970’s adapted by The Columbia. They created this gorgeous tasting dressing and popularized the salad all over again, their answer to the salad bar. The 1905 was also selected by USA Today as one of America’s Top 10 Salads. Yes, it’s that tasty!

About the Columbia Restaurant

The Columbia Restaurant has been a Florida institution since it opened in Ybor City, Tampa in 1905, making it the oldest restaurant in the state. It’s family owned, Cuban influenced, and the kind of place that earns its reputation one visit at a time.

Thankfully for me, they expanded to St. Augustine in the 1980s, which is oh so close to where I live. I’ve been a fan since they opened those doors and St. Augustine has given me no shortage of memories over the years, from class field trips to the Spanish Fort and Ripley’s Museum, to some very questionable late night espresso decisions on St. George Street. The Columbia sits right at the center of it all and never disappoints.

What I remember most fondly is when they started printing their most popular recipes on the inside of little matchbooks. We’d grab a handful just to see which recipes we ended up with, collecting far more matches than we ever needed. My favorite, naturally, was the 1905 Salad. Some things are just meant to find you.

If salads are your thing as much as mine, my spinach feta salad is another one I come back to again and again, simple, fresh, and completely satisfying.

It’s gorgeous tasting made with ham, turkey or shrimp or you can go ixnay on the meat and make it all veggie.

What makes this salad is the dressing! I could just about drink it straight … almost. I’ve also been known to use this dressing tossed into pasta and then grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top, love it.
If you do ever get the chance to visit one of their restaurants, it’s well worth it, but if not, at least give this recipe a go. One salad will feed four as a side or make it a complete meal for two served with a crusty loaf of bread. And if you love a classic salad done beautifully, my classic Caprese salad is the next one to try, fresh, simple, and always a crowd pleaser.

Tips for Making 1905 Salad

Make the dressing ahead. This is the single biggest thing you can do to improve the final result. The garlic and oregano need time to bloom into the olive oil and the flavor difference between a freshly made dressing and one that’s had a full day to sit is significant. Make it 1 to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Give it a good whisk before serving.

Use quality Spanish olive oil. The dressing is simple enough that every ingredient shows up in the final flavor. Extra-virgin Spanish olive oil has a fruitier, more rounded character than generic olive oil and it’s worth seeking out. This is not the place for the bottle that’s been sitting in the back of the cupboard.

Don’t skip the Worcestershire. It goes on at the end, tableside at the Columbia, and it’s not optional. Two tablespoons over the finished salad adds a savory, slightly smoky depth that ties the whole thing together. It sounds like an odd addition to a salad but trust the recipe on this one.

Use good olives. Pimiento-stuffed Spanish green olives are specific here for a reason. They bring a briny, slightly sweet note that regular olives don’t quite replicate. Most grocery stores carry them and they’re worth finding.

The Famous 1905 Salad Dressing

The dressing is what makes this salad, and it deserves its own moment. Simple ingredients, but the quality of each one matters.

1905 Salad Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/8 cup white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the olive oil, garlic, and oregano in a medium bowl. Add the vinegar gradually, whisking continuously until an emulsion starts to form. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make it 1 to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. The garlic and oregano need time to bloom into the oil and the flavor difference between a freshly made dressing and one that’s had a day to sit is noticeable. Give it a good whisk again just before serving.

This makes enough for 2 full salads or 4 side salads.

Little Figgy Food

1905 Salad (Columbia Restaurant Recipe)

4.80 from 15 votes

The 1905 Salad from the Columbia House restaurant is a meal in itself. Loaded with Meat, Cheese, Olives and all the goodies of a satisfying salad.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 2 - 4

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 4 cups Iceberg Lettuce chopped into 2 inch pieces (about 1/2 large head of lettuce)
• 1 large Tomato cut into about 10 - 12 slices (lengthwise)
• ½ cup baked Ham julienned (can use turkey or shrimp)
• ½ cup Swiss cheese julienned
• ½ cup Pimiento-stuffed Green Spanish Olives left whole
• ½ cup Romano/Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• “1905” Dressing

For the "1905" Dressing:

• ½ cup extra-virgin Spanish Olive Oil
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons dried Oregano
• ⅛ cup White Wine Vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

 

For the Salad:

1. In a large salad bowl, combine Lettuce, Tomato, Ham (or choice of Meat), Swiss Cheese, and Olives.
2. Just before serving, add in the “1905” Dressing, Cheese, Worcestershire Sauce, and the Juice of 1 Lemon.
3. Toss together until salad is covered well with dressing and serve.

For the Dressing:

1. Mix together the Olive Oil, Garlic, and Oregano in a medium bowl using a whisk.
2. Pour in vinegar, gradually whisking until an emulsion starts to form.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Best if made 1 - 2 days ahead of time and kept refrigerated.
5. Makes 2 full salads or 4 side salads.

Notes

Use your leftover meats or go to your local deli to source great tasting meat, for the Ham or Turkey. Can also try this salad with boiled or grilled shrimp. Don't want meat? Leave it out. It's the dressing that makes this a great tasting salad.Salad Dressing is also yummy tossed into your favorite pasta with Parmesan cheese grated over top.

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Variations

The 1905 salad is more flexible than it looks. The dressing is the star and it carries the dish regardless of what you build around it.

Shrimp. Swap the ham for boiled or grilled shrimp. It’s a lighter, slightly more elegant version that works really well for a summer lunch or a starter at a dinner party.

Turkey. Use leftover turkey or pick up a good quality slice from the deli counter. It works just as well as the ham and is a great way to use up what you have on hand.

Vegetarian. Leave the meat out entirely. The olives, Swiss cheese, Romano, and that dressing give you plenty of flavor without it. Nobody is going home hungry.

Pasta salad. Toss the 1905 dressing through your favorite pasta with a generous grating of Parmesan over the top. It makes a genuinely great pasta salad and is one of those happy accidents worth keeping in your back pocket.

*AND Nope, this is not a sponsored/compensated post, just a personal favorite salad recipe from a brilliant restaurant that I wanted to share, just in case you’re wondering*

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