Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with an explosion of delicious flavors in every bite! Introducing the mouthwatering creation – the Firebirds BLT Salad. This isn’t an ordinary salad; it’s a symphony of freshness, crunch, and sizzle that’ll awaken your senses and redefine your salad experience.
You can enjoy this amazing salad on your own or serve it as a family meal. For those looking for a calorie diet, this salad is best to try as it not only satisfies the cravings but is delicious and healthy as well.
How To Make Firebirds BLT Salad
This is a simple salad recipe that is rich in nutrients. I have adjusted the original Firebirds wood BLT salad recipe with my preferences for spices and ingredients.
Talking about the ingredients; Mixed lettuce, cherry tomatoes, chopped bacon, and herbs, tossed in a homemade creamy ranch dressing are all you need for preparing this salad recipe.
Step-1: Ranch Dressing
Buttermilk ranch dressing is prepared separately. I would suggest to prepare it in advance before making BLT salad. To start, combine mayonnaise and buttermilk in a bowl and then add finely chopped onions, minced garlic, fresh parsley, and chives. After mixing it thoroughly, transfer the mixture to a blender and let it chill in the refrigerator for a best taste.
Step-2: BLT Salad Prep
Now ranch dressing is ready, its time for cutting the veggies and preparing for BLT salad. Start with tomatoes, cut 12 cherry tomatoes in quarter and make 48 small slices.
Use two types of lettuce, curly leaf, and romaine, for a crunchier and bulky texture. Cut them into bite-sized pieces. And for a delightful crunch, cube some white bread loaves and cook them briefly. As for the star of the salad, bacon, cut it into small pieces and cook it until it’s perfectly crispy.
Step-3: Toss & Mix
Once everything is prepared, take a bowl and combine the green veggies, crispy bacon, and toasted breadcrumbs using tongs. Then, I drizzle the creamy ranch dressing over the top and sprinkle on some grated cheese. Sprinkle a dash of salt and black pepper for seasoning, and I give it a good mix.
The result? A mouthwatering BLT salad that’s both flavorful and satisfying. It’s a perfect combination of fresh vegetables, crispy bacon, and that creamy buttermilk ranch dressing.
Key Highlights for This Firebirds BLT Salad Recipe
- Fresh flavor.
- You can serve it as a side dish or combine it with main dishes to make it a complete meal.
- You can customize the ingredients and give them a different touch.
- Great taste and is full of flavors.
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Notes & Tips
- The romaine lettuce will make the salad bulky and crunchier.
- Don’t forget to rinse your greens in running water to make them clean and tidy.
- You can cook bacon in the oven or in the air fryer as well. Pan frying is quicker, that’s why I have cooked it in the pan.
- Once the bacon and breadcrumbs are done, place them on a paper towel to absorb excess grease.
- No need to use oil for cooking bacon and breadcrumbs in the pan. Bacon’s fat will melt and it’s best to cook it on its fat.
- Keep the flame of the stove low to medium while cooking bacon and breadcrumbs.
- You can add more dressings to the salad, to keep it simple I have used salt and pepper only.
- Try Italian seasoning with this recipe and you will love it.
Variations & Serving Ideas
Although BLT itself is incredibly filling and contains a variety of veggies. But still, you may serve it with various dishes. Also try adding different toppings such as mozzarella balls, croutons or cubed bread, chopped nuts, red onion, hard boiled eggs, or balsamic drizzle, to make it a more fulfilling dish.
I occasionally like to pair it up with grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, or salmon for a heartier salad meal. If that’s not enough to impress your guests just yet – why not try making a Panzanella-style salad by replacing the usual lettuce base with cubes of rustic Italian loaf or your preferred bread of choice?
FAQ’s
What dressing is used on this BLT salad?
For this recipe, I have used buttermilk ranch dressing. You can make this creamy dressing with butter, mayonnaise, white onion, chive, parsley, dry mustard, lemon, salt and pepper.
Alternatively, you can use other dressings for BLT salad as well. Some options are balsamic vinaigrette, honey mustard, sour cream, or even a light citrus-infused dressing.
What is the best lettuce for a BLT salad?
Normally, for many salad recipes, curly leaf lettuce is used. But to make the salad more bulky and crunchier, try adding romaine lettuce as well. This combination works well for me, and I am sure you will like it too.
Other lettuce types you can try are bib lettuce and iceberg lettuce.
Can I add other proteins to this salad?
Yes, you can add other protein-based ingredients such as cooked chicken pieces, shrimp, and steak slices. These protein dense additives can bring an extra layer of richness and variety to your salad, elevating it to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Ingredients
- 1 Head curly leaf lettuce Cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Head romaine lettuce Cut into bite-sized pieces
- 12 Sweet cherry tomatoes Cut into quarter size
- 6 Stripsof bacon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Grated cheese
- 1/2 Loaf white bread Cubed
- 2 Cloves garlic Finely chopped
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Butter milk
- 1 tablespoon Chopped white onion
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1/2 tablespoon Fresh parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon Fresh chives Finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Squeeze of lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Take a bowl and add buttermilk and mayonnaise. Mix well.
- Add chopped onions, minced garlic clove, fresh parsley, and chives in the same bowl.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender.
- Once done, store the dressing mixture in the refrigerator for some time to enhance its taste.
- Cut the sweet tomatoes into quarter size. Cut the 12 tomatoes in the same manner and you will have 48 small slices of tomatoes.
- For this recipe, I have taken two types of lettuce; one is curly leave lettuce and the other is romaine lettuce. Cut the head of lettuce with a knife into make small bite sized pieces.
- Cut the bread loaves into small cubes size pieces.
- Cut the bacon strips into small pieces and cook in a pan for 6-8 minutes or until ready.
- Once the bacon is done, cook the breadcrumbs on the same pan for 2-3 minutes.
- Take a wooden salad bowl and add the green veggies, bacon, and breadcrumbs to it. Toss all ingredients with tongs.
- Then drizzle ranch dressing and grated cheese over top of all ingredients. Season with salt and black pepper. Finally, give all ingredients a good mix and your BLT salad is ready.