I think of this salad as ‘the good salad’ because it has a lot of yummy things and the combo of them together is kind of perfect. I usually serve it as a side salad with soup or a main dish featuring protein. You could easily increase the size, or add some chicken or shrimp and serve this as a main dish too.
Bacon, lettuce, tomato, toasted almonds, avocado, parmesan and croutons make a very satisfying combination in this salad and the lemon garlic dressing is the perfect compliment. Homemade salad dressing is so quick and easy, and it makes salads so much tastier. We have a bottle of ranch in our fridge we use for pizza, but other than that I always make dressing for our salads, even if it simply balsamic, oil, salt and vinegar if I’m lazy.
I use my typical oven cooking method for the bacon, which you can read about in my post on Bodega Sandwiches. I also make the croutons by slicing some of my sandwich bread into cubes, drizzling with olive oil and chopped garlic, salt and pepper, and toasting in a 350 degree oven until golden and crunchy. Sometimes I leave the croutons off, but this salad is so much better with them on.
The Good Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 package bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 3 tomatoes chopped
- 2/3 cup slivered almonds toasted lightly
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 2 cups croutons homemade or store
For the dressing:
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl until combined and taste and season.
- Cook the bacon and chop it.
- Toast the almonds lightly in a frying pan on the stove top or on a cookie sheet in the oven. Just until they are starting to brown slightly. Burnt nuts are bitter so be careful not to burn them.
- Wash and cut the lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
- Add all the the ingredients to a salad bowl and toss with the dressing.
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