BLT Chopped Salad

A BLT-inspired chopped salad brings crisp romaine, ripe tomatoes, bacon, avocado, pickled onion, and homemade croutons together with a light creamy buttermilk-herb dressing.

56 min

4 side servings

Chopped romaine BLT salad with tomatoes, crisp bacon, avocado, pickled red onion, croutons, and creamy herb dressing.

Ingredients

6 oz crisp romaine hearts, chopped into bite-size pieces

8 oz thick-cut bacon

3 cups torn day-old sourdough bread

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp red wine vinegar, divided

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp chopped chives

1 tbsp chopped dill

2 ripe tomatoes

1 avocado

1 tbsp lemon juice

Equipment

Rimmed sheet pan · Aluminum foil · Small bowl · Large salad bowl · Whisk · Chilled serving platter

Bite-size matters

Chop the romaine and toppings to a similar size so the salad stays mixed from the first forkful to the last.

Preserve the crunch

Hold back half the croutons until the very end and serve as soon as the salad is dressed.

Pickle, bake, and crunch

01. Quick-pickle the onion first so its acidity has time to soften the slices while the bacon and croutons cook.

02. Heat the oven to 400 F before baking; consistent heat renders bacon cleanly and crisps the croutons.

03. Bake bacon in one layer until deeply brown and bubbling, then drain it on towels. Reserve a little rendered fat for savory croutons.

04. Toss bread thoroughly with bacon fat, olive oil, salt, and pepper so every crouton carries seasoning.

05. Bake and turn the croutons once, then cool them on the pan until their centers are dry and crunchy.

Dress and chop

06. Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, oil, chives, dill, salt, and pepper until creamy but loose enough to coat rather than smother.

07. Keep the romaine, tomato, bacon, and avocado near the same bite-size scale. This makes every forkful read as a BLT instead of a pile of separate toppings.

Toss and serve

08. Toss the salad gently with pickled onion, bacon, half the croutons, and enough dressing to coat all the chopped pieces.

09. Plate and add the remaining croutons immediately before serving; pass extra dressing separately for people who want more.