B.L.T. Chopped Salad

We love chopped salads, of all kinds. This is a relatively simple chopped salad with a BLT influence, minus the bread…and the carbs! It kind of reads and looks like a Cobb, but different…less meat, for example.

Feel free to vary the amounts of each salad item according to your likes. Also adjust the size of the chop to suit your taste. Your favorite dressing, especially any vinaigrette, works well. The mayonnaise element in this dressing helps echo the BLT theme. As with any salad, before to spin or dry the lettuce before adding the dressing, helps the dressing stick.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked, 1/2 inch chop

• 1 cup ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, 1/2 inch chop

• 1 1/2 cups Romaine lettuce hearts, 1/2 inch chop

• 1 1/2 cups Iceberg lettuce, 1/2 inch chop

• Kosher salt

• Fresh cracked black pepper

• 1/2 cup sweet white corn, fresh or frozen, thawed

• 1//2 cup crumbled Feta or Blue cheese

• 1/4 cup red onion, 1/4 inch chop

• 1/2 cup avocado, 1/2 inch chop

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp sugar

• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

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Directions:

• Cook bacon in an air fryer or oven until slightly crisp. Let cool, the chop.

• Mix together the chopped Romaine and Iceberg. Place in a large bowl, cover lettuce with cold water, place in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and drain. Place in a salad spinner and drain well. Or, spread out lettuce mix on a clean kitchen towel, cover, press dry.

• Toss together the lettuce mix, chopped tomatoes, thawed corn, crumbled feta, and red onion in a medium bowl. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes if time allows.

• in a small food processor, add the lime juice, paprika, mayonnaise, sugar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Process until emulsified and all the ingredients are incorporated. Or, use a small bowl and a whisk by hand. Taste. Reason with salt and pepper if neccessary. Let cook in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

• Remove salad and dressing from the refrigerator.

• Toss the salad with about 1/4 cup of the dressing leaving enough dressing to pass around at the table. Add the chopped avocado and gently toss again. Serve.