Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad

It’s time to bring out your Summer Goddess.

This Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad has all the flavor and is a breeze to throw together! Spilling over with delicious ingredients and this amazingly light Buttermilk Bleu Cheese Dressing, you will want to eat this every day during the warm summer months.

At the market on Saturday, I was awestruck by the sight of the gorgeous locally grown, farm fresh produce. I usually gather it all up, knowing that it will somehow become a recipe. Today’s tough decision was which salad I should I make. The resident carnivore put in a request for something with bacon, and thus was born this amazing Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad.

When it comes to salads, I like to mix my greens. Choosing a lettuce for this salad was a no-brainer: iceberg, for sure. I want to give a shout-out to tried and true iceberg lettuce. With so many fancy-schmancy greens available, iceberg does not receive the love it deserves. True, its nutritional content doesn’t stack up to kale or spinach, but iceberg has game, too. It is sturdy enough to face heavy ingredients head-on. It also has a crisp coolness that balances the rich toppings. Here I mixed iceberg with verdant Romaine.

I used a lot of tomatoes in this recipe. A pound, I think. But why not when they are fresh off the local vine? Tomatoes brighten the robust bleu cheese dressing. Choose sweet cherry tomatoes or a kaleidoscope of heirlooms. Some of the tomatoes I brought home didn’t make it to the salad. They sacrificed their lives as bleu cheese dippers while The Man waited for this salad.  For those about to be eaten, we salute you.

The toasty croutons add a welcomed crunch. I did not coat the bread chunks before toasting because I knew the bacon and dressing would provide more than their fair share of flavor. However, you most certainly can do it. Just toss them with some butter or oil before popping them in the oven (or on the stove). They will be delicious!

We love this salad around here, and I am sure you will, too!

This pairs well with a brut sparkling wine.

Cheers!

XXOO  AB

If you make this delicious Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and tag #nakedepicurean on Instagram so we can celebrate together!

Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad (for 8)

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices bacon, fried extra crispy
• 4-6 slices French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 small head of iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 head of Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound tomatoes (anything ripe and colorful will work)  
• 2 green onions, sliced
• freshly ground S&P
• Buttermilk Bleu Cheese Dressing (or dressing of your choice)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Toast the chunks of bread in the oven ( at 350 degrees F) or a dry pan (on medium high) till light brown and crunchy. Set aside.

2. Assemble the salad in a large bowl: lettuce, tomatoes, bacon,green onions, and croutons. Add dressing, but do not toss until ready to serve.

3. Just before serving, gently toss the salad with the dressing. Season with S&P and serve.