the salad days
After multiple consecutive days of going out to eat (not that I’m complaining), I’ve been really craving a nice, big salad. Sometimes you need a few days of dirty eating to remind you how amazing fresh veg is. The bright romaine and crunchy veggies make this salad feel so fresh, and the crispy bacon bits give it a little saltiness that is just so good. As far as ranch dressing goes, I’ve never been a huge fan of it unless it’s homemade. That way I know what I’m putting into it, and using Greek yogurt instead of just mayonnaise gives it a nice creaminess that a bit lighter and healthier than traditional ranch.
⟶ the recipe
al fresco salad with homemade ranch
ingredients
4 strips of bacon
1 16-ounce can of red kidney beans
1 seedless cucumber, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped celery
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn
Salt
For the ranch
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Total time
40 minutes
8 servings
instructions
In a large skillet, cook the bacon strips on each side, until they’re cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and dab off the extra grease.
Drain and rinse the kidney beans, and shake out the extra water before setting aside.
In a large salad bowl, toss the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onion, celery, and romaine together until well-mixed. Toss in the kidney beans, and season the salad with salt to taste.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and mayonnaise. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Crumble the bacon over the top of the salad, and lightly toss.
Drizzle the ranch over the salad, and toss to coat.
⟶ recipe notes
- This recipe came from my Ukrainian grandma’s recipe drawer. While I followed her recipe pretty closely, there are a few changes I made to make it my own
- My grandma’s recipe called to dress the salad with a cup of mayonnaise. I don’t love the texture of plain mayo, and I wanted to lighten this recipe a bit, so I concocted my own homemade ranch instead, using just a tablespoon of mayo
⟶ modifications
- Romaine is a great salad leaf to use in this recipe, but you can use other lettuce as well such as butter or mixed greens
- You can skip the bacon if you want to keep this salad veggie only
⟶ make it ahead
- If you’re planning to store salad left over, I would recommend storing the dressing in a separate container than the salad instead of mixing it in at the end. This will keep the veggies nice and crisp the next day
