This easy chopped salad recipe gets topped off with creamy avocado and crunchy bacon to make it truly restaurant-worthy. The rich toppings are the perfect pairing for fresh romaine lettuce, corn, cucumbers, green beans, and tomatoes. Look for tender hearts of romaine to make this salad. They are the sweetest part of the lettuce heads. Make the homemade dressing recipe up to three days in advance to give the garlic and lemon flavors time to develop. Store the creamy dressing in the fridge until ready to use on your salad.
How to Make Chopped Salad Ahead
There are many other ways to prep this salad ahead of time. Chop the lettuce, blanch the vegetables, and cook the bacon the day before you plan to serve. Simply toss together and serve when ready.
How to Finish a Chopped Salad
A sprinkle of flaky salt, like Maldon, sliced chives, and freshly cracked black pepper is the perfect finishing touch for this chopped salad recipe. Serve it immediately after dressing for the best texture and flavor.
Ingredients
2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ lemon
1 7- to 8-ounce carton créme fraiche or sour cream
2 hearts romaine lettuce
2 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from cob
4 ounce green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
Maldon sea salt, other sea salt, or salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into chunks
6 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and chopped
