Columbia’s 1905 Salad and Dressing Recipe
If you’ve never heard of the Tampa’s oldest restaurant, “Columbia’s,” then you probably don’t know about the popular Columbia’s 1905 Salad and Dressing recipe!
Here, you’ll learn the secret for making the best 1905 Salad ever.
The salad itself is not rocket science…iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, grated Romano cheese, julienned ham, Swiss cheese and Spanish olives – but the 1905 salad dressing is what set this salad apart from others.
The dressing is a garlic infused oil and white wine vinegar dressing with a tang of umami from a little Worcestershire sauce and a hint of fresh lemon juice.
There are two key steps in this recipe that guarantee the best flavor
Coat the serving bowl with a cut garlic clove and lightly season the lettuce with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
By doing these two things first you’ll achieve that “tableside” presentation and flavor of the original 1905 salad.
The Columbia is Floridian restaurant founded in 1905 in Ybor City near Tampa, Florida. It has a definite Cuban/Spanish vibe to its menu, offering the traditional pressed Cuban sandwich, Cuban black bean soup, an assortment of Spanish tapas and more.
The famous salad was originally made tableside, much like the Caesar salad was in the 1950’s.
The server would prep a large salad bowl with the salad ingredients, then at the table, the Worcestershire sauce and fresh lemon juice were added to the hearty crisp salad, and the server finished off the presentation with a dash of garlic infused salad dressing, wedges of fresh tomato and chopped salty green olives stuffed with pimentos.
Adding the Worcestershire and lemon juice tableside did a few things:
1) it directly seasoned the crisp lettuce (so the salad was not solely relying on the fabulous salad dressing) and
2) provided a second layer of seasoning to the baked ham and swiss cheese and
3) provided entertainment and that “wow” factor to their dining guests.
Here’s how to accomplish the full flavor of the salad without having to wear a chef’s apron and toss salad at your dining room table.
Salad Ingredients
- Iceberg lettuce – the original recipe used a head of iceberg lettuce, but I have seen some variations that use romaine. I recommend sticking to crisp iceberg lettuce.
- Ham – salty and savory ham; you can use a sweet ham, but I recommend sticking with a traditional smoked flavor; cut into julienne strips
- Swiss cheese – the tanginess of the Swiss cheese pairs beautifully with the salad ingredients and 1905 dressing; cut into julienne strips
- Tomatoes – fresh ripe cut into wedges
- Olives – Spanish olives stuffed with pimentos
Dressing Ingredients
The dressing is a basic vinaigrette, however the inclusion of a few ingredients elevate the flavor resulting in a great salad!
- Extra virgin olive oil – Spanish olive oil is highly recommended due to its peppery flavor profile and unique flavor
- Romano cheese – grated Romano works best; you can use a Parmesan Romano blend; but definitely use the Romano
- White wine vinegar
- Dried oregano – do not substitute for fresh or freeze-dried
- Worcestershire sauce – this is the secret to the dressing.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic cloves
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
How to make it
Putting a salad together isn’t rocket science, but there are a few tips to the salad preparation that yield the most authentic flavor. See the recipe card below for exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- First, rinse and dry the iceberg lettuce; tear it into bite size pieces and set aside
- Mince the garlic, cut tomato wedges, slice the ham and Swiss cheese into julienne strips; set all this aside
- Take one clove of garlic, peel it and slice it in half; rub the cut-side of the garlic around the serving bowl (this is a great trick for scalloped potatoes, too)
- Place the torn lettuce leaves, Swiss cheese and ham into the bowl; drizzle with a little Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, toss with tongs, cover and refrigerate while you make the salad dressing
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl or two-cup measuring cup, combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, half of the grated Romano cheese, the other tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a little more fresh lemon juice and fresh ground black pepper
- Place this in a mason jar and shake it up real good
- Pour the dressing over the salad and use tongs to give it a good toss
- Plate individually and garnish with tomato wedges, sliced green Spanish olives and a light dusting of grated Romano
Recipe tips
- Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces. Do NOT cut it with a knife. Why? Some times, the knife blade gives the lettuce a bitter taste
- DO NOT skip the step of rubbing a slice of garlic around the big mixing bowl. Why? The chilled lettuce will absorb a light garlic flavor, resulting in a truly delicious salad
- Go easy when dousing the torn lettuce with Worcestershire sauce. Why? If you put too much sauce on the lettuce, it will turn brown and nobody wants to eat a discolored salad, right?
Storage and make ahead
For best results, store the dressing and salad ingredients separately, each in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, leftover salad greens have a short life, but the dressing will store in a mason jar for up to 3 months. Separation will occur upon refrigeration so when you’re ready to use it again, let it get almost to room temperature, then give it a good shake or stir to emulsify the salad dressing.
Columbia’s 1905 salad and dressing recipe is perfect for those hot summer days when it’s too hot to cook!
Columbia’s 1905 Salad and Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large head of iceberg lettuce, torn into pieces (about 4 cups after being torn into bite sized pieces)
- 2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 cup julienned cooked ham
- 1 cup julienned Swiss cheese
- ½ cup Spanish olives stuffed with pimento , cut in halves
- ¼ cup grated Romano cheese plus more for garnish (optional)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided 1 tablespoon for the lettuce, 1 tablespoon for the dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon), divided 1 tablespoon for the lettuce, 1 tablespoon for the dressing
- 1 clove cut garlic (for prepping the bowl)
- ½ cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Peel and slice in half one clove of garlic. Rub the cut side around the inside of a large salad bowl; discard used clove; set asideTear lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to bowl (see recipe notes below)Julienne ham and Swiss cheese and add to bowlDrizzle 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over lettuce, ham and cheese; use tongs to toss and combine; cover and refrigerate (See Recipe Notes)Slice stuffed olives in half; set asideSlice tomatoes into wedges; set asideFinely mince 4 cloves of garlic (you want 2 tablespoons); set aside1 large head of iceberg lettuce, torn into pieces, 2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges, 1 cup julienned cooked ham, 1 cup julienned Swiss cheese, ½ cup Spanish olives stuffed with pimento, 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic, 1 clove cut garlic (for prepping the bowl)
Make the dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, white wine vinegar, dried oregano, white wine vinegar, black pepper, grated Romano cheese, the remaining tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice and fresh ground black pepper; whisk until combined½ cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ cup grated Romano cheese plus more for garnish (optional)
Assemble salad
- Drizzle the dressing over the lettuce/ham/cheese; toss with tongs, transfer to individual plates (see recipe notes)
- Garnish each plate with tomato wedges, sliced olives and finish with a light sprinkle of grated Romano (optional)
