Healthy BLT Salad Recipe

There’s nothing fairly like a cool, crunchy salad on a heat summer season’s day. They’re family-friendly and great for summer season potlucks and get-togethers. Summer is the proper time for them too, since gardens and farmer’s markets are bursting with produce.

We don’t do a lot of bread round right here, so I needed to recreate the basic BLT sandwich flavors in veggie-packed salad kind. Salad greens topped with crispy bacon, candy cherry tomatoes, and a tangy lemon mustard French dressing… it doesn’t get a lot brisker!

BLT Salad: A Classic Reinvented

What is it about a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich? It’s so easy but it surely hits the spot each time. Instead of a skinny slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf although, what should you might pile it high with good-for-you veggies?

Tossing collectively a BLT salad for dinner is a great method to make use of garden produce. You can use any greens you want. I like a bit of arugula and child spinach for his or her B nutritional vitamins and iron, in addition to some romaine lettuce for crunch.

Not a very confident gardener yet? The cherry tomatoes for this recipe are a kid-favorite garden treasure and really straightforward to grow. All you need is a good massive pot, some filth, a stake and string, and sunshine! Kids like to watch them ripen and their natural sweetness is ideal on this salad. Even should you don’t have a lot of a yard, they make a good potted plant for a balcony or porch.

BLT Toppings

Top the salad with some sliced avocado and creamy goat cheese to imitate the mayo of a conventional BLT. This salad allows you to benefit from the flavors of a BLT with out the bread and go away you feeling refreshed and glad!

If you want your bacon on the crispier facet then go for a common or skinny slice. If you actually wish to pack a bacon flavored punch although, strive thick-cut bacon as a substitute! Here are some more topping concepts:

Chopped contemporary chives
Shredded cheddar cheese (as a substitute of the goat cheese)
Chopped pink onion
Homemade grain-free croutons

Lunch To-Go

Salads make good dinners for busy days since they’re often quick and simple to make. Add some sliced chicken for an straightforward, protein-packed meal. Or throw some meat on the grill and serve this BLT salad as a facet dish.

I prefer to make this forward of time in a mason jar (simply one other of their handy uses) for great to-go salad containers. Just put the moist elements (tomatoes, dressing, avocado) on the underside. Follow with the salad greens on the highest and cap with a lid. When you’re able to eat, simply shake the jar to combine the whole lot up or dump it on a plate.

You’ll discover within the directions that I divide the whole lot evenly onto 4 completely different plates. If you like you possibly can merely toss the whole lot into a massive bowl and serve it that means as a substitute. Not everybody might get the very same quantity of toppings this manner although!

BLTs With Avocado?

Absolutely! Because avocados are each scrumptious and healthy.

Avocados are one of essentially the most versatile elements. They’re tasty on their own however are additionally gentle enough to mix simply with different flavors. You’ll often discover them mashed into guacamole, however they’re additionally scrumptious on soups and salads. I like to make use of them on this egg-free mayo and even throw some in a smoothie!

Avocados are so nutrient dense and creamy that they make a good substitute for eggs or dairy in some recipes. They’re additionally high in fiber, potassium, B nutritional vitamins, and healthy fat.

The Dressing

Store-bought salad dressings regularly have highly refined oils and synthetic components. By making them at home I do know my household is getting a good dose of healthy fat and actual food elements.

It’s additionally cheaper to make my own salad dressings since I have already got most of the widespread elements readily available. These embrace olive oil, a selection of vinegars, and herbs.

Instead of making dressings from scratch each time I need them, I save time by making double or triple batches. (Tip: use dried herbs to maintain them contemporary the longest.) I retailer them in a mason jar with a lid and have them readily available once I need them.

The French dressing for this salad is a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, and a little salt and pepper. It’s fairly tangy and would additionally work properly as a marinade for chicken or fish. Shake it up in a mason jar and hold the leftovers within the fridge for an additional day.

Check out this post for some of my different salad dressing recipes.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I used to have fairly the obsession with store-bought ranch dressing. As a lot as I really like this salad with the tangy French dressing, it additionally tastes good with ranch dressing. Instead of utilizing buttermilk or bitter cream, my model makes use of Greek yogurt for a protein enhance. So should you’re not a French dressing fan, strive it with ranch as a substitute!

BLT Salad Recipe with Avocado

Toss this salad collectively in minutes for a fast lunch or dinner option. Take it with you to work, the back patio, or your subsequent household get-together.

12 oz bacon strips
8 cups salad greens
2 cups cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)
2 avocados (sliced)
4 oz goat cheese (non-obligatory)

Chop the bacon into bite-sized items.
In a medium skillet, prepare dinner the bacon over medium warmth till crispy.
While the bacon is cooking, divide the salad greens amongst 4 plates.
Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and divide evenly among the many plates.
Let the cooked bacon drain on a plate lined with paper towels and put aside to chill.
Divide the avocados, goat cheese if utilizing, and bacon evenly among the many plates.
To make the French dressing, mix the lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper in a mason jar.
Shake to mix.
Gradually whisk within the olive oil.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the French dressing over every salad, serve, and luxuriate in!

Nutrition Facts

BLT Salad Recipe with Avocado

Amount Per Serving (1 salad with 2 TBSP French dressing)

Calories 775
Calories from Fat 612

% Daily Value*

Fat 68g105%

Saturated Fat 19g119%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 9g

Monounsaturated Fat 36g

Cholesterol 69mg23%

Sodium 911mg40%

Potassium 993mg28%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 1749IU35%

Vitamin C 52mg63%

Calcium 80mg8%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie diet.

You could make additional French dressing and retailer it within the fridge to avoid wasting time on the subsequent salad. It’s additionally scrumptious as a marinade for chicken or fish!