• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

A Gouda Life

Simple ingredients, delicious results. Step by step recipes for the home cook.

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • APPETIZERS & BEVERAGES
    • SOUP
    • DINNER
      • Seafood
      • Chicken/Pork
      • Air Fryer
      • Mexican
      • Pasta Recipes
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grilled
    • SIDE DISHES
      • Potatoes
      • Rice/Risotto
      • Vegetables/Salads
    • DESSERTS
    • BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
  • About A Gouda Life
  • Recipe Index
  • Some Gouda Times

Dinner Vegetables/Salads

BLT Salad Recipe

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This BLT Salad Recipe is inspired by the classic sandwich. A bed of romaine lettuce is topped with crispy bacon, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, garlic croutons, crumbled blue cheese and homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

It’s hard to find one meal my husband and I both really enjoy. Many days one of us is compromising. A classic BLT sandwich is one meal we both finish and wish we had more of. So naturally, a loaded BLT Salad is next on the menu and if you’re thinking you’ll be missing the toasted bread – think again – homemade croutons to the rescue.

overhead view of white platter and blt salad

What is a BLT Salad?

A BLT Salad is all the flavors we love in the classic sandwich – crispy thick cut bacon, fresh chopped lettuce and sliced sweet summer tomatoes. The salad also includes thinly sliced red onion and crumbled blue cheese for even more flavor. The blue cheese goes so well with the salty bacon.

BLT Salad recipe ingredients:

  • thick cut bacon cooked to crisp
  • Romaine lettuce
  • tomatoes
  • crumbled blue cheese
  • croutons (packaged or see below for homemade)
  • red onion

how to make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

If you have a creamy dressing you already enjoy, feel free to go with but if you have a few minutes and these simple ingredients, I urge you to give this Buttermilk Ranch Dressing a try. It’s so good and homemade salad dressing is a game changer.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by blending 1/4 cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice then whisk to combine. This will give you the 1/4 cup of buttermilk called but in the recipe.

  • plain Greek yogurt
  • buttermilk
  • mayonnaise
  • lemon juice
  • dry dill
  • garlic powder
  • chives
  • fresh Italian parsley
  • salt and pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl then whisk until blended. Taste and adjust salt to your preference then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the salad.

Homemade croutons:

Salad croutons are the perfect thing to make with leftover bread. Using any bread you have on hand, cut or tear into smallish (bite size) pieces. Drizzle with olive oil (or even a little butter) then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Add the croutons to a large skillet and saute over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until they’re browned and crisp (lower the heat if they’re getting too dark). 

Assembling the blt salad:

black bowl with BLT Salad drizzled with ranch dressing

This is an easy summer meal that can even be prepped ahead of time:

  • Make the dressing and refrigerate up to 5 days.
  • Cooked bacon can keep in the fridge in a sealed container (reheat before adding to the salad).
  • Croutons will keep in a sealed container on the counter up to 2 days.

To assemble the BLT Salad, add the lettuce to a large bowl or platter then top with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing just before eating. 

Looking for other ingredients to add to the salad? Here are a few ideas:

  • grilled corn
  • sliced avocado
  • grilled zucchini
  • sliced cucumbers
  • fresh basil
  • sliced green onions

Enjoy!

If you tried this BLT SALAD recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating!

Do we share a love of easy, tasty recipes? LIKE ME on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW along on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST and SUBSCRIBE ⇓ for all the latest. 

overhead view of white platter and blt salad

BLT Salad

Classic BLT sandwich flavors in a fresh summer salad that's a whole meal in itself.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

BLT Salad

  • 6 slices thick cut bacon cooked to crisp
  • 6-7 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
  • 2 cups tomatoes sliced (opt: grape tomatoes)
  • 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbled
  • 2 cups croutons see body of post for how to make homemade
  • 1/4 small red onion thinly sliced

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk see post re: how to make buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dry dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons chives chopped
  • teaspoon fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt + pinch of black pepper
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

  • Add all of the ingredients to a bowl then whisk. Taste and adjust salt to your preference and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the salad.

Assembling the Salad

  • This salad can be prepped ahead of time. Make the dressing and refrigerate up to 5 days. Cooked bacon can keep in the fridge in a sealed container (reheat before adding to the salad). Croutons will keep in a sealed container on the counter up to 2 days.
  • To assemble, add the lettuce to a large bowl or platter then top with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with dressing just before eating. 


2 Comments

Don’t miss any of this deliciousness!

Leave your email address below to get the NEW recipes sent directly to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Creamy Mac and Cheese
Next Post: Sea Breeze Cocktail »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ramone says

    June 21, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    This is a winner. All the flavors of summer plus my anytime favorite, BACON.

    Reply
    • Bernie says

      June 23, 2020 at 8:07 pm

      Thank you Ramone! You can never go wrong when you add bacon! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe




Primary Sidebar

Find a recipe!

Midwestern food-obsessed woman behind the apron who runs with scissors and talks to strangers. You’ll find recipes with simple ingredients and delicious results. I’m grateful every day for this blog and everyone who gives me a chance to live a dream I didn’t know I had. Click to read more

Footer

You might also like

white plate with nutella puff pastry topped with raspberry sauce, dusted with powdered sugar

Nutella Puff Pastry

christmas tree pizza on cutting board

Christmas Tree Pizza – cold veggie pizza appetizer

closeup of air fryer pillsbury cinnamon rolls with icing on gray plate

Air Fryer Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

Muffin Tin Potato Stacks on black plate garnished with fresh thyme

Muffin Tin Potato Stacks

cranberry christmas margaritas in salt rimmed glasses garnished with fresh cranberries

Christmas Margaritas

Privacy Policy  •  Home

Copyright © 2023 · A Gouda Life - Customized by Brave Creative Design

75 shares