If you know me, and I hope by now you do, I’m never one to even waste precious chewing energy on a boring salad. I have friends who will enjoy even the most plain salad consisting of one variety of lettuce and a glop of salad dressing from a gallon sized vessel bought at a warehouse store, meant for school cafeteria use.
But this BLT salad, with joyful bacon confetti, is one that I could probably eat several times a week. If you don’t make the homemade buttermilk dressing yourself, there are only really five ingredients: lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, bread and dressing.
Oh, and another great thing (as if you needed another) – the bacon and the croutons bake together in harmony on the same baking sheet.
Secretly, I could have gone even without a dressing — a secret drizzle of bacon drippings all over the salad and a a squeeze of lemon would have been just fine. But the homemade buttermilk dressing, which came together in less than 15 seconds, really made this salad over the top.
BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- half baguette (8 ounces), sliced into 3/4 inch cubes about 4 cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 pound romaine hearts, coarsely chopped (or other salad greens)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange bacon in a single layer on 1/2 of a rimmed baking sheet. On the other side of the baking sheet, add the bread cubes and toss with the olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing the bread cubes halfway through. The bacon should be crisp and the bread cubes are toasted. Crumble the bacon into large pieces.
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Add in lettuce, tomatoes bacon and croutons; toss to coat with dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
from Fresh Flavors Fast Cookbook from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
