Recreate the classic taste of Salad Supreme Seasoning at home with this easy copycat recipe! With a blend of zesty spices and romano cheese, this versatile seasoning adds a burst of flavor to salads, veggies, and more.
Copycat Salad Supreme Seasoning
Growing up I could always count on finding a jar of McCormick’s Salad Supreme Seasoning in my mom’s spice cabinet. It was her secret to making the most flavorful pasta salads and adding a little pizzazz to marinades and veggies.
And while I rely lot of my mom’s cooking secrets to this day, I don’t rely on McCormick’s Salad Supreme. Instead, I make my own–and now my mom uses MY recipe as well!
Homemade Salad Supreme seasoning, just like chili seasoning and taco seasoning, is made with common pantry spice and is an easy and cost-effective alternative to store-bought seasoning blends. And unlike McCormick’s blend, this homemade version can be made dairy-free!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Ingredients in Salad Supreme Seasoning
After much experimentation, I have created a homemade version that nails the classic flavor using a combination of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, paprika, celery seed, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and romano cheese. But you can easily customize this blend to taste and leave out the cheese, using the following notes as a guide.
- Non-Negotiables: You CAN’T get close to replicate McCormick’s spice blend without included sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and celery seed.
- Paprika: Use regular paprika, not smoked paprika, which can overwhelm the spice blend.
- Salt: Opt for kosher salt, rather than iodized salt (table salt), for better flavor enhancement.
- Cheese: For the best consistency, grated cheese (sold in a tub in the deli or green jar) works best. Romano is the classic choice, but parmesan or a blend of romano and parmesan work well. For a dairy-free option, I love using nutritional yeast, which will give the same nutty undertones the cheese does.
- Adjust as Desired: Garlic powder and cayenne pepper can be adjusted as desired. My recipe gets it as close to the original flavor as possible.
Kristen’s Tip
An Important Note on Storage
Due to the added cheese (and lack of added preservatives), it is best to store this spice blend in the refrigerator rather than your spice cabinet. Some blends of romano cheese or parmesan cheese are shelf-stable after opening, but most are not. It is best to err on the side of caution.
Ways to Use Salad Supreme Seasoning
While delicious in salads, salad supreme seasoning can be used in endless ways.
- For Salads: Simply sprinkle over your favorite mixed greens salad. I love using to finish a Caesar salad to amp the flavor up a bit.
- For Pasta Salad: Add a couple of tablespoons of salad supreme seasoning to your pasta salad to create the BEST simple pasta salad.
- For Potato Salad: Adding 1 tablespoon of this salad supreme seasoning to the dressing for Italian Potato Salad makes a great potato salad even better.
- Add to Salad Dressings: Make Zesty Italian Dressing even zestier by adding up to 1 tablespoon of this blend to the salad dressing.
- Add to Marinades: Add 1-2 tablespoons of this seasoning blend to marinades for pork, chicken, salmon, shrimp, or beef.
- Flavor Veggies: Sprinkle over steamed veggies, buttered corn on the cob, or to season veggie kabobs.
- As an All-Purpose Seasoning Blend: Sprinkle on potatoes before roasting, add to avocado toast for a savory punch of flavor, sprinkle on hard-boiled eggs or scrambled eggs, add to burgers–the list goes on and on!
More All-Purpose Seasoning Blends
Did you make this recipe?
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In a small bowl or jar combine 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon poppy seed, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 2 tablespoons grated romano cheese. Mix or shake until well combined.
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Due to the added cheese, it is best to store homemade salad supreme seasoning in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 1 month.
Dairy-free Option: Replace the grated cheese with nutritional yeast
Adjust as Desired: Garlic powder and cayenne pepper can be adjusted as desired.
Calories: 11kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 309mgPotassium: 16mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.04gVitamin A: 99IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
