Gourmet Green Salad

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What could possibly be gourmet (and wonderful!) about a green salad, you might be wondering? Perfectly toasted homemade croutons? Garden grown lettuce, tomatoes and onions? Bacon that has been treated and smoked to perfection? (Ok, those all sound really good!) However delicious they may be, none are very practical in my real life, crazy busy, family friendly kitchen. However, I do have a few tricks I wanted to share with you that turn a regular, ordinary green salad, well…into something great. It’s a loose kind of recipe, really that leaves you the ability to add whatever kind of vegetables you enjoy and have on hand. My favorite veggies to add are Spring mix lettuce, red onions, sliced tomato, shredded carrots, diced cucumber and sliced green pepper. But, you can add whatever suits your fancy. In my eyes (and per my tastebuds!) the three ingredients that make a green salad super great are as follows.

First up…Croutons. Crispy, buttery, and loaded with garlicky flavor…croutons. I’m sure you are not surprised. 🙂 I love the crunch and flavor they give to the salad. My favorite are Olive Garden Croutons and can be found in most grocery stores (and in a large bag at Sam’s Club).

Second, Cheese. I usually toss in a big handful of grated parmesan cheese. It gives the salad a nice hearty saltiness.

Lastly…Crumbled Bacon. Good glory, is it just me or is everything better with bacon. I saw someone lately with a T-shirt that read “Too Much Bacon -said no one ever.” It’s true, right? I like to buy the precooked bacon (at Costco or Sam’s). I like to reheat it, so it’s nice and crispy by placing it on a paper towel covered plate and heating it for a bit in the microwave.

Anyhow, these are the few things I do to make a green salad great. I make this simple salad often and have wanted to archive it here so that I can use it in the weekly menu plans I post each Saturday. Keep scrolling for the exact recipe ingredients, and then further down for a couple of links to my favorite homemade dressings to serve with this salad.

Enjoy!