BLT Salad

Number of Servings: 4-6

Salad Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (375 mL) sourdough croutons*

5 ounces of bacon (about 8 slices) cooked, drained, and crumbled
1 ½ cups (375 mL) chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped green onions

1 head of iceberg lettuce, outer leaves removed, cut into 4-6 wedges

Creamy dressing:

2 ½ ounces (70 g / about ½ cup) feta, gorgonzola, or blue cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 mL) buttermilk, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Make croutons:    Cut sourdough bread (no crusts) into ¾ inch cubes. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, and a sprinkle or two of sea salt. Bake (375⁰ F) for 10 minutes, or until toasted and golden. Stir up croutons once or twice while baking.       Set aside to cool.
2. Cook bacon. Cut into small pieces and set aside.
3. Make dressing:   Process the cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor until pureed and smooth. Add buttermilk or sour cream. Pulse until combined. If the dressing is too thick, add some extra oil, buttermilk or sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. To serve: Place a wedge of lettuce on each salad plate;       Pour some dressing over each wedge.       Sprinkle with a generous grind of black pepper.
5. Top with chopped tomatoes, green onions, and crumbled bacon; sprinkle croutons over top.

Questions and comments are always welcome     alex@chilipeppersandpears.com ^[1]