Save time on the day of your party with this easy make ahead salad recipe! Layers of veggies and protein make this a perfect dish for those following keto, but it’s something that everyone can enjoy.
Lettuce provides the base of the salad, then green onions, tomatoes, celery, shrimp, and hard boiled egg layers fill the bowl for a hearty lunch or a filling side. And since the dressing is sandwiched between layers, this is a great potluck dish that travels well, too.
Be sure to check out our list of substitutions so you can find the perfect ingredients for your family!
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What is Keto Friendly Overnight Layered Salad?
Overnight salad originated in the 1950s in the southern United States. It is also known as seven layer salad or as seven layer pea salad, due to the number of layers and ingredients used.
In the past ten or fifteen years, this salad has come back into vogue. Like summer spaghetti salad, overnight salad can be found in many different variations, from southwest style to Asian, and from meaty to vegan. And you can find recipes for individual, mason jar servings or portions fit for a crowd.
This particular variation was developed for the keto diet by removing the traditional peas and replacing sugar with sugar-free sweetener. But don’t let the title fool you! This salad is so tasty and refreshing that anyone will enjoy it!
Doesn’t the Lettuce Get Soggy?
In this recipe, it doesn’t. Your greens will stay nice and fresh overnight, for two reasons.
The first reason is due to the order that the ingredients are layered. With most overnight salads, greens make up the lowest layer. The drier the greens are, the less likely they are to become soggy.
In this salad, they are insulated from the dressing by the green onion and celery layers. Since they don’t touch the dressing, the shrimp, or the tomatoes, they remain crisp.
Another reason the salad doesn’t get soggy is because of the type of dressing used. You don’t want to open a bottle of store-bought dressing for this one!
The dressing that is made especially for this recipe is super thick. If you bottled it and tried using it as normal salad dressing, you’d have a really tough time getting it out of the bottle. Since it doesn’t drip, it won’t slip down and mingle with your lettuce. Everything stays crisp and fresh!
Can I Make Substitutions?
Yes!
If you’re not concerned about maintaining a keto diet, you can layer 10 oz of thawed, patted dry peas on top of the celery. You can also substitute 2 teaspoons sugar for the Truvia.
If you’re not a shrimp person, you can use salmon, chicken, or chickpeas. Just make sure that you pat them dry before adding them to the bowl.
Love cheese? Add a cup of shredded cheddar to the top of your salad.
Don’t use veggies or fruits with high water content, like cucumbers or melon. The additional water can cause your salad to become soggy overnight.
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Directions
- Make the dressing. Whisk mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, Truvia, and garlic powder until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce and sliced green onions.
- Then layer the celery and dressing.
- Layer bacon, then shrimp.
- Finally, layer eggs then tomatoes.
- Cover salad and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. Serve cold.
Looking for More Salads?
- Zesty dressing and crispy bacon jazz up potatoes in Gram’s German Potato Salad
- With 5 Minute Caprese Salad, you’ll forget that you’re on a keto diet
- Say goodbye to summer and hello to fall with Apple Slaw with Cranberries
Keto Friendly Overnight Layered Salad
Course: Keto-Friendly, Salads, SidesDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes4
hoursLayers of veggies and protein make this a perfect dish for keto diets, but it’s also a delicious salad that everyone enjoys.
Ingredients
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon Truvia
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium head of iceberg lettuce, torn and patted dry (or 2 hearts of romaine)
4 thinly sliced green onions (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 lb crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
1- 16 oz pkg frozen salad shrimp, thawed and patted dry
3 hard boiled eggs, diced
4 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced, and patted dry
Directions
- Make the dressing. Whisk mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, Truvia, and garlic powder until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce and sliced green onions.
- Then layer the celery and dressing.
- Layer bacon, then shrimp.
- Finally, layer eggs then tomatoes
- Cover salad and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.
Serve cold.
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