Who doesn't enjoy a good BLT sandwich? Savory bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crunch from the lettuce, what's not to love? Perhaps all the bread? This salad provides the same great taste as the sandwich with lower carb options. Don't get me wrong because the croutons are delicious, they have a nice crispy texture with garlic flavor that brings the salad over the top. Unlike the sandwich version you can add a little or a lot, or none at all if you want low carb.
First step in making this salad is to make the croutons. For this you will want a large loaf of bread. I usually use french but sourdough would also be delicious for this. Cut the bread into large cubes and place them on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle seasonings on top, toss to coat. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes, flipping till golden brown. Once done, set aside to cool.
While the croutons are baking go ahead and cook up your bacon. You can do this on the stove top or I like to do mine in the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper an lay the slices on the paper. At 400 degrees it takes about 25 minutes to get crispy. Crumble or cut into large chunks.
Chop the lettuce and tomatoes into large chunks and place in a large bowl.
For the dressing, place the sour cream, ranch packet, and milk in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together, adding milk till you reach your desired consistency.
Now, all that is left is to assemble. Start with your lettuce and tomatoes, add some shaved parmesan cheese, bacon, and croutons (if desired) and top with the ranch dressing.
Additional ideas for toppings that would be delicious include grilled chicken, avocado, and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
BLT Salad
Ingredients
Croutons
- 1 loaf french bread
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbs granulated garlic
- 1 tbs granulated onion
- 1 tbs parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
Salad
- 1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped
- 1 head romaine or leaf lettuce washed and cleaned
- 1 medium container spring mix or spinach washed and cleaned
- 3 large tomatoes washed and cleaned
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shaved
Dressing
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 packet hidden valley ranch mix
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
Croutons
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut bread into large cubes and place on a greased sheet pan.
- Drizzle olive oil over cubes.
- Sprinkle seasonings on bread and toss to coat.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through to thoroughly cook croutons til golden brown.
Salad
- Chop lettuce and place lettuce and greens in a large bowl.
- Chop tomatoes into large pieces and place on top of lettuce.
- Cook bacon til crispy and crumble or cut into pieces, sprinkle over salad.
- Sprinkle on shaved cheese.
- Top with dressing.
Dressing
- place sour cream in a medum sized bowl.
- stir in ranch packet.
- add milk to desired consistency.
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