Loaded BLT Salad with Avocado Ranch

The highlight of my week has been this Loaded BLT Salad with Avocado Ranch - a salad I made once and haven’t been able to stop thinking about since. It’s second-coming happened two nights ago (with us devourinig the leftovers last night), and it’s just so good. We call it the BLT salad at my house, because the crispy bacon pieces + slices of tomato just give it that vibe, but it’s loaded with so much more. Hard boiled eggs, seasoned cous cous, and (my favorite) this creamy avocado ranch. It’s so good and my new favorite discovery of 2023 that I’m excited to make over and over again.

 
 

Avocado ranch

This avocado ranch is made for anyone who loves avocado on a salad, but open to changing it up. It has a gorgeous green color - it give green goddess vibes - and has the rich + creamy avocado flavor. It’s amped up with so many herbs - specifically dill + chives. The perfect assortment of flavors. Whipped up with. some fresh squeezed lemon juice - it’s light, creamy, bright, & has that distinct ranch flavor. Obsessed!

 
 

Don’t sleep on a chef’s salad

This is a chef’s salad with a heavy BLT vibe! And honestly, a chef’s salad has everything. The hard boiled egg, the crunchy veggies, the bacon. Gosh the bacon - that’s one ingredient that this veggie enthusiast gets real excited about. And. necessary for a chef’s salad.

My secret ingredients for a real successful chef’s salad:

  • Hard-boiled eggs. It’s just a non-negotiable.

  • A good cheese. Good quality feta or blue cheese will definitely do the trick, but let me say that we’ve been reaching for this Italian white cheese with truffle, and it fits right in.

  • Something pickled or something candied. Personally - obsessed with a candied jalapeno + it has a true place in this salad.

 
 

Cous cous is the new crouton

Seriously - pearled cous cous is my secret Summer salad ingredient. It’s just that little hit of a carb that feels so satisfying. And I honestly think it acts as a pseudo crouton. Not quite crunchy, but just hearty enough to make it feel like a real moment in your salad. I’m obsessed with the boxed varietal from Whole Foods in particular. Went as far as to send my husband to Whole Food specificially for this ingredient, and I don’t regret it.

A salad that truly so loaded + so good. It sparks joy at our house, and this week I’m glad we had a moment to digress. I’m obsessed + honestly grateful this avocado ranch is now in my recipe portfolio!

 
 

Avocado ranch

  • 1/3 c. fresh dill

  • 1/3 c. fresh chives

  • 1/4 c. basil

  • 2 avocados

  • 1/4 c. mayo

  • 1/4 c. sour cream

  • juice of 1 lemon

  • fresh garlic

  • Salt + pepper

For the salad

  • A mixture of crunchy greens (any mixture off cabbage, shredded brussels, and kale)

  • Bacon, roasted to crispy

  • Hardboiled eggs (1 for every salad), sliced

  • Cous cous, prepared to package instructioins

  • Campari tomatoes, diced

  • 1/4 cheese (blue cheese, feta, or other white cheese of choice)

  • Candied jalapeños

Start by making the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to food processor + puree until smooth. Set aside in an bowl or other airtight container, and refrigerate until ready.

Move to prepping the cooked ingredients - boiling the eggs (boiling for 10-12 minutes), cooking the cous cous to package instructioons, and roasting the bacon (until crispy).

To assemble the salad, toss the greens with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Spread the salad between bowls. Nestle the hardboiled eggs + cheese on the side of bowl. Sprinkle the tomatoes, bacon, + cous cous over the top of the salad. The. final step is to sprinkle some candied jalapeños over the top. Drizzle a bit of the extra dressing over the salads along with any a sprinkle of leftover chives + dill. It’s heaven.

Lesley ZehnerComment