This 7 Layer Salad recipe is packed with so many delicious flavors. It’s a fabulous addition to potlucks and parties and makes a great low carb side dish.
Up until a few years ago, I was completely new to the concept of Seven Layer Salad. Then I decided to make a version that was lower in carbs and more appropriate for a keto diet. It instantly became one of my most popular recipes with readers and with my family!
I was particularly impressed by how much flavor this keto salad recipe had. Given the simplicity of the ingredients, I worried it might be on the bland side. But it was incredibly creamy and delicious, and two of my kids went back for seconds.
It’s a fun and easy way to serve salad for a party. We now make it several times a summer and it’s always a hit.
Love salad for dinner? Be sure to try this Keto Chopped Greek Salad too. And don’t miss Chimichurri Steak Salad for a wonderful summer meal!
Why you will love this layered salad recipe
7 Layer Salad isn’t all that high carb to begin with, but I still felt that there was room for improvement. For one thing, onion has a surprising amount of carbs. And frozen peas are rather high in carbohydrate as well. Not to mention that they’re kind of unappealing as they soften and get mushy.
To reduce the carbs, I switched reduced the onion to a smaller amount and added in some chopped celery for additional crunch. I also changed up the peas and used chopped snap pea pods instead, as they have fewer carbs and more fiber. Then I added a layer of chopped cucumber and tomato, for additional color, crunch, and flavor.
It’s the perfect healthy keto salad recipe for a get together. You can scale up the recipe to make 12 or more servings. And you can make it a day in advance and refrigerate so you don’t have to be scrambling at the last minute.
It also looks fabulous layered in a clear glass bowl or trifle dish. And each delicious serving has only 4.4g net carbs!
Reader Reviews
“Super easy and super good! I used the Garlic & Herb “Dash” instead of the garlic powder, salt and pepper since my husband has to watch his salt intake. Family loved it!” — Lydia
“My sweet mother in law used to make this for our family dinners a lot. She passed away this spring, and making your keto version was a delicious and therapeutic way to honor and remember my MIL and feed my family, just as she loved to feed us. ❤️❤️” — Chandra
“Our family loves this! In the heat wave we’ve been having, it is so refreshing. The Sugar Snap Peas have a great crunch and we didn’t miss English Peas at all. We also did not miss sugar in the dressing as my Grandmother’s years-old recipe used.” — CRP
What you need
- Lettuce: I prefer romaine to iceberg lettuce because it has more nutritional value but that’s up to you.
- Celery and onion: I have made this with both green onions and red onions. I prefer it with green onion but sometimes you’ve got to work with what you have in the fridge!
- Chopped snap peas: So much tastier and lower in carbs than frozen peas!
- Cucumber and tomato: An extra layer that adds color and flavor.
- Hardboiled eggs: I only put these on half of the salad because the rest of my family doesn’t like them. But you can do a full layer if you like.
- Dressing: This is a simple creamy dressing made with mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Grated cheddar: You could swap this out for a different cheese if you prefer. I like to grate my own.
- Chopped bacon: The icing on the cake!
Tips for making a layered salad
To be frank, the hardest part of making this keto salad recipe is chopping everything up. Once you’ve done that, it takes about 5 minutes to layer the ingredients. You do want to chill it for at least an hour to keep everything looking fresh.
I recommend cooking the bacon extra crisp, so it doesn’t soften as it sits overnight. I also recommend not adding salt to anything but the dressing layer, so it doesn’t draw out any extra moisture.
Also be sure to keep the dressing layer far from the lettuce layer, to keep the moisture from wilting the lettuce before you serve.
I recently found a glass trifle dish at a thrift store, and I knew this salad would look wonderful in it. But I’ve also made it in a glass mixing bowl. When it’s just for the family, I like this scaled down version that makes 6 servings. If you want to make it for a larger get together, double the recipe and layer it in a large trifle dish or a 9×13 glass pan.
Want to turn it into a full meal? Add chopped chicken or ham for added protein! Also feel free to increase the dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
The classic 7 layer salad has lettuce, onion, peas, hardboiled eggs, bacon, and cheese. It also has a creamy dressing made with mayonnaise and sour cream. This low carb version cuts back on the onion and peas, and also contains celery, cucumber, and tomato.
You can easily prep a layered salad or any salad a day in advance. Lettuce can wilt easily when it sits in dressing, so make sure to keep these things separate. You can do that by adding the dressing on top of more sturdy veggies or by adding the dressing later, before you serve.
This lower carb version of 7 Layer Salad has 6.6g of carbs and 2.2g of fiber. So it has 4.4g net carbs per serving.
More keto salad recipes you’ll love
Seven Layer Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups (282 g) chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 medium green onions, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 3/4 cup (73.5 g) chopped sugar snap peas
- 1 cup (133 g) chopped cucumber
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 3 hardboiled eggs, chopped
- 1/3 cup (74.67 g) mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup (76.67 g) sour cream
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup (113 g) grated cheddar cheese
- 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Arrange the lettuce at the bottom of a large bowl or trifle dish.
- Then layer on the celery and onions, the snap peas, the cucumber and tomato, and the eggs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over top of the layers.
- Finally, layer on the cheese and top with the bacon. Refrigerate 1 hour to chill before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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My 8 year old son (and myself) love this recipe! I substitute white mushrooms for the celery and slice the boiled eggs and put them on top (so they can be removed by picky eaters), but otherwise I like to double (maybe triple) the dressing because that’s how my family likes it! I’ve taken this to pot lucks and all kinds of dinners and always get compliments. Thank you for the great recipes!
this is a family favorite!
Do you need to specifically use fresh or frozen sugar snap peas?
I look forward to trying this as 7 layer salad was a favorite of mine pre keto.
Thank you!
I have never had frozen snap peas. Fresh are much tastier!
I’ve used frozen and left them out to thaw. They worked just fine!
Are you able to store leftovers
Yes, as long as you don’t mix all the dressing in.
This is so delicious! And filling! Keto made easy!
Carolyn, this is our favorite salad! Can’t rave enough about it!!💕
Made the exact recipe💕
I have missed 7 layer salad. I will made a 1/2 re pie of this!
this is very good but it really needs double the dressing on it ! not enough as the recipe is written
As you can see from the rave reviews, most people find that it has enough dressing. But you should make it to your tastes!
Super easy and super good! I used the Garlic & Herb “Dash” instead of the garlic powder, salt and pepper since my husband has to watch his salt intake. Family loved it!
This was absolutely delicious! Followed recipe exactly.💕
My sweet mother in law used to make this for our family dinners a lot. She passed away this spring, and making your keto version was a delicious and therapeutic way to honor and remember my MIL and feed my family, just as she loved to feed us. ❤️❤️
Very good, we loved it and will make it again!
This was so easy and the dressing really added to the salad. Will definitely make this again.
Thank you for the salad recipes. I can bring these to a potluck and know I have something “I” can eat…. These salads are great!!!
Thanks, glad it helps!
How far in advance do you think you could put this salad together? I hesitate to put salads together too far in advance as I don’t want them to wilt, but I’m thinking of making some for a trip soon, so I thought I’d find out the official answer 😉
I think 48 hours in advance is the most I’d go with this.
Our family loves this! In the heat wave we’ve been having, it is so refreshing. The Sugar Snap Peas have a great crunch and we didn’t miss English Peas at all. We also did not miss sugar in the dressing as my Grandmother’s years-old recipe used. The garlic was perfect. For a bit of variety, we’ve also made it with chopped up thick sliced ham when we were out of bacon (I know, who is ever out of bacon?) This will be on weekly rotation during the summer for us. Thank you for this.