BLT Chopped Salad with Homemade Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
A healthy green salad packed with an abundance of veggies for added texture and flavor. I used tomato, cucumber, carrot, peas and corn, but use your favorite and what you have on hand. I used bacon-less bacon (vegan), and use your favorite, cooked to manufacturer’s directions. The homemade ranch dressing is creamy, luscious, rich, and packed with flavor. You’ll never need storebought Ranch or those ranch seasoning packets after discovering how easy it is to make your own. Like all dressings, play with the balance of ingredient ratios until you strike the perfect balance. Extra will keep for over a week in the fridge.
Servings: 1large salad, serves 2 generously or 4 modestly + about 1 1/4 cups dressing
Calories: 462kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Salad
½cupcookeddiced bacon or faux bacon pieces (about 8 strips bacon, cooked to manufacturer’s instructions)
about 3 to 4 cups salad greens
1small/medium ripe tomatosliced into thin rounds
half of 1 cucumberabout 10 thinly sliced rounds
¼cupthinly sliced carrots
¼cuppeasI used frozen
¼cupcornI used frozen
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
½heaping cup mayonnaiselite or reduced fat okay
½heaping cup sour cream(lite or reduced fat okay; plain Greek yogurt may be substituted
¼cupbuttermilk + extra if necessary to thin
2tablespoonsminced fresh flat-leafItalian parsley
1 to 2tablespoonslemon juice
1 to 2tablespoonsolive oil
1 to 2tablespoonminced fresh green onionscallions, or chives ( I used 1 trimmed green onion in entirety)
1small garlic clovepeeled, optional and to taste
½teaspoonsaltor to taste
½teaspoonground black pepperor to taste
Instructions
Salad – Cook bacon according to manufacturer’s instructions. Dice small; set aside.
In a large bowl, add the greens, top with tomato, cucumber, carrots, peas, corn, and sprinkle bacon pieces over the top; set aside.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing – To the canister of a food processor or blender (mini food processors work great here), add all ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Taste dressing and if necessary, adjust flavor balance by adding more lemon, oil, herbs, salt and pepper, or whatever dressing needs, to taste. I like my dressing thicker and didn’t use more than 1/4 cup buttermilk, but add more, to taste, to thin it out. Brands of mayo, sour cream, and buttermilk all vary in their thickness.
Transfer dressing to a glass jar with lid, or airtight container with a lid.
Drizzle over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Extra dressing will keep for 7 to 10 days airtight in the fridge; shake well before next use.