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.
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup cooked diced bacon or faux bacon pieces (about 8 strips bacon, cooked to manufacturer’s instructions)
- about 3 to 4 cups salad greens
- 1 small/medium ripe tomato sliced into thin rounds
- half of 1 cucumber about 10 thinly sliced rounds
- ¼ cup thinly sliced carrots
- ¼ cup peas I used frozen
- ¼ cup corn I used frozen
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- ½ heaping cup mayonnaise lite or reduced fat okay
- ½ heaping cup sour cream (lite or reduced fat okay; plain Greek yogurt may be substituted
- ¼ cup buttermilk + extra if necessary to thin
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoon minced fresh green onion scallions, or chives ( I used 1 trimmed green onion in entirety)
- 1 small garlic clove peeled, optional and to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or 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.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1large salad, serves 2 generously or 4 modestly + about 1 1/4 cups dressing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 462
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 462kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 40g | 62% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 29g | 171% |
| Cholesterol | 48mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 846mg | 35% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.