Tomato Bacon Avocado Salad with Southwest Ranch Dressing

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Imagine a BLTA (Bacon Lettuce Tomato Avocado Sandwich) but ditch the bread and add in a homemade zesty Southwest Ranch dressing made with creamy buttermilk. It’s a salad fit for a meal.

The Salad Components

Most of my recipes come with options based on your own tastes.  This particular salad, the bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado are non-negotiables. But, the cheese and cilantro are optional or substitute-able.

A large green salad with tomatoes, avocado, cheese and bacon in a large bowl placed on a marble countertop, tossed tossed with the tongs on the left

The cotija cheese is the first recommendation since the flair of this salad skews toward the southwest flavors. But, I’ll be honest, I don’t love cotija and use feta in its place. Perhaps a misplaced fusion of flavors, but hey, we’ve all got our own tastes and opinions. You do what makes you happy.

As for the cilantro, I know there are people out there with a flavor aversion to the herb. So, in which case, ditch it altogether and don’t think twice about it.

A large green salad with tomatoes, avocado, cheese and bacon in a large bowl placed on a marble countertop, dressing on the side

Serve this with sourdough discard dinner rolls or sourdough discard breadsticks to make it a meal!

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A large green salad with tomatoes, avocado, cheese and bacon in a large bowl

Southwest Tomato Bacon Avocado Salad

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4.8 from 13 reviews

  • Author: Joanie Simon
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x
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Description

Imagine a BLT but skip the bread, add avocado and toss it with a tangy southwest ranch dressing.

Ingredients

Scale

Dressing

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 Tbs yellow mustard or dijon
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

  • 1 head romaine or green leaf lettuce
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage or slaw mix
  • 6 strips of bacon cooked and then chopped into bits
  • 1/3 cup cotija or feta cheese
  • 1 cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 large avocado, sliced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  • Combine dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Place in a dressing container for serving.
  • For the salad, layer up the ingredients in a large serving bowl and toss with dressing or serve the dressing on the side

Notes

  • For a spicy kick, add jalapenos
  • There will likely be more dressing than you need for the salad, so just keep the remaining and use it for dip or another salad.
  • Prep Time: 20min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Category: salad
  • Method: blender
  • Cuisine: American
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