Roll out those lazy hazy crazy days of summer, dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer… 🎵 Nat King Cole never fails to make me happy with his wonderful music.
Anyways, summer is just around the corner, so I thought that it would be nice to share some salad recipes that my family and I enjoy eating, especially when temperatures outside begin to rise! Now I’m not huge on lettuce, but I LOVE it in this recipe because the creamy basil dressing and avocados need the freshness and crunch that the lettuce provides. This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be modified/adjusted to suit your likes/dislikes. I added avocados and corn to the BLT salad, but you could use anything your heart desires.
This recipe is pretty simple and basic, however the Creamy Basil Dressing I am going to share with you today takes this salad from ordinary to EXTRAORDINARY 😱🎉 The basil scent is so aromatic and pairs well with the entire dish. When making the dressing, I wanted to create something more creamy than a vinaigrette, but not as rich as something like Ranch or Thousand Island.
The measurements for the salad and dressing are not exact, I suggest that you tweak the ingredient amounts to suit your own tastes. Slavishly following a recipe can take away from the experience of cooking as a whole as well as hinder your creative abilities. I am a firm believer in using your own creativity and judgement when cooking in the kitchen.
Well, without further ado, here is my recipe for a Simple BLT Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing!
-Chewy
- Bacon (As much as your heart desires)
- 1 large head of Romaine
- 3-4 tomatoes, depending on the size
- 1 can of corn, drained
- 1-2 avocados, depending on the size
- One handful of FRESH basil, chopped (about ½ cup packed)
- A dash of garlic powder
- 1-2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp of honey or sugar
- 1-2 tbsp of rice or white vinegar
- A sprinkling of salt and pepper
- 2-4 tbsp of vegetable or canola oil
- Place bacon in a pan and fry until crisp or chewy (your preference). Remove bacon from the pan and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces, dice the tomatoes and avocados into bite-sized cubes and divide them up on 3-4 plates. Spoon the corn evenly over the tops of the salads. Chop the bacon into small pieces and do the same, sprinkling them over the salads.
- In a food processor or any blending device (I used a Magic Bullet), put in all of the ingredients except for the oil. Blend, season and adjust the ingredients to suit your liking.
- Next, add the oil one tablespoon at a time until you reach a consistency that you are happy with. I like my dressing to be able to coat the back of a spoon, but that is just my preference.
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This sounds so yummy! I have a basil plant and wanted to use it for something other than pesto and this dressing sounds delicious! I’ve got to give it a try 🙂
Hi Justine! Thank you and do try out the dressing, it is scrumptious 🙂