The Famous Green Jacket Salad from Augusta
A tradition unlike any other…and we’re not just talking about The Masters! Green Jacket Salad – originally served at the Green Jacket restaurant in Augusta, Georgia – has quite the reputation for being one of Augusta’s most famous recipes.
It was thoroughly loved by golf fans visiting Augusta for years. Let’s learn how to make it at home!
The Green Jacket restaurant used to be across the street from Augusta National, but it’s sadly no longer there. The restaurant was famous for this Green Jacket Salad, reportedly making it table-side for guests!
Seeing as the Masters is right around the corner, I thought it perfectly fitting to share this recipe!
My husband works in golf so we always have it on television in the background during the spring and summer months, especially the Masters. Ironically, my oldest daughter made her (1 month early) debut into this world on Masters Sunday!
Back to this DELICIOUS and easy salad…you can find it in the Par 3 – Tea Time at the Masters book as well.
Green Jacket Salad Ingredients
- Crisp Romaine & Iceberg Lettuce
- Chopped Green Onion
- Chopped Fresh Parsley
- Sliced Tomatoes
- Toasted Pita Chips
- Green Jacket Salad Dressing (oil, red wine vinegar, seasoned salt, and dried oregano)
What to serve with Green Jacket Salad?
This salad comes together in just a few minutes with pantry staples making it the perfect side salad to accompany anything from grilled steak or chicken to even pizza or a Masters pimento cheese sandwich! Of course, add in an Arnold Palmer to drink!
Green Jacket Salad Dressing
Let’s talk about this dressing! Originally a “house secret” of the restaurant, you can now make it at home! Below are the ingredients to this easy, tangy dressing. It’s so delicious!
- Vegetable Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Seasoned Salt (Lawry’s or Accent)
- Oregano
Simply whisk your ingredients together and you’re ready to drizzle it over your greens! You can also fold it in and toss the greens in the dressing, however you prefer your dressing!
The original salad recipes calls for vegetable oil (rumor has it that it was Weeson soybean oil) but you can also use substitute in olive oil.
The seasoned salt used at the restaurant was reportedly a combination of accent seasoning and a Shoney’s seasoned salt blend. You can still buy accent (MSG) in stores, but I swapped it out and used Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.
As for the pita chips, I use store-bought pita chips, but you can also make your own by cutting pita bread into small pieces and then baking for 5 to 7 minutes at 350 degrees spread out on a baking sheet. Store-bought works just fine, however, and you can even find flavored pita chips too.
If you find yourself in Augusta craving the Green Jacket Salad and don’t want to make it yourself, you can get a very similar version at Rae’s Coastal Café.
I hope you’ll give this salad a try if you’re watching the Masters this year! You can bet my family will be enjoying it too. If you happen to be entertaining guests this season, check out my tips for hosting a Masters viewing party!
Also try my Masters Egg Salad – it makes the BEST sandwiches!
Green Jacket Salad
Ingredients
Green Jacket Salad Dressing
- 3 Tbsp regular oil - (can substitute olive oil)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Green Jacket Salad
- 1 head lettuce, chopped - (or 2 hearts of romaine, chopped)
- 1 tsp fresh parsley - chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes - chopped (or 1 large tomato)
- 1/2 cup green onions - chopped (about 1 bunch)
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup pita chips - (crumbled)
- black pepper - (to taste)
Instructions
Green Jacket Salad Dressing
- Whisk together oil, red wine vinegar, seasoned salt, and oregano until thoroughly combined.
Green Jacket Salad
- Combine chopped lettuce, parsley, tomato, and green onions in a large serving bowl.
- Toss or drizzle with green jacket salad dressing.
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese and crumbled/broken pita chips. Serve and enjoy!
Beautiful salad and the pita chips add just the right crunch!
This salad is really good, but the star is definitely the dressing – that seasoned salt is everything!
This was everything a gourmet salad should be, and then some! Easily, a new favorite salad; I loved the crunched up pita chips!
I live in Augusta, GA and Masters Week is a very big deal here! Lots of out of town visitors. We had a few this week and I fixed this salad as a first course. It was delicious! The bowl was cleaned out and the compliments were abundant! Thank you for the recipe!
I’m SO glad to hear it, Christina! I can only imagine how fun it is to live in Augusta during Masters week!
Just saw this. What a coincidence! I live in Charlotte, NC now but I’m from Augusta. I’ve had this salad many times. My brother (who still lives in Augusta) has the recipe hand-written on the back of a Green Jacket napkin. He’s kept it all these years. Even more coincidental, he, my sister and I had lunch yesterday at Rae’s Coastal! (She crab soup, crab cakes, and house salad).
The original Green Jacket salad had MSG in the salad dressing not seasoned salt. It was chopped head of lettuce and never had Romain lettuce. I lived in Macon GA and Augusta GA in the 70’s through the 90’s and ate often at both Green Jacket Restaurants.
You’re right Jana. MSG isn’t commonly used anymore due to health concerns, seasoned salt is a great alternative for people wanting to make a copycat version of this salad at home. You’re right about the lettuce too which is why I state chopped head of lettuce but give others the option for romaine if they prefer. :)
This is our new Masters tradition! Eggcelent recipe!
Thanks Tami! I’m so glad you loved it!
I agree with Jana, the original dressing was made with Accent and Shoney’s Seasoning Salt and not Lawery’s. Totally different taste when made with Lawery’s, which my family doesn’t care for. I lived in Macon, Georgia back in the 80’s and one afternoon on a local tv show, “A Date with Dell” one of the Green Jacket chefs explained how their house dressing was made and they used Accent and Shoney’s Sesoning Salt. Shoney’s Seasoning Salt can still be ordered online.