Quick and Easy
Sous-Chef Salad
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 30 minutes
- Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes
When the house chef takes the night off, resist your go-to takeout and toss together this powerhouse one-bowl dinner instead. Yes, it’s a salad, but it stars bacon, salami, ham, turkey and cheese, which makes it an easy sell to the under-15 crowd, as well as a fun and filling meal.
Plus, it’s quick to make (and make ahead) and highly customizable; for example, swap out the feta for shredded cheddar or use store-bought dressing.
The basic layout is a bed of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, hard-boiled egg, and feta, draped with ribbons of Smithfield deli meat (we like a combo of ham, turkey and salami). Crumbled Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon adds a savory crunch while the light yet creamy dill-flavored yogurt dressing ties it all together. (Use leftover dressing as a sauce for grilled meats or fish.)
Serve in heaping bowls—making sure each diner gets their favorite bits—along with some thick slices of fresh, buttered bread. Note how each bite is joyfully different from the last. Note happy faces. There may be a new chef in town.
—Shana Liebman
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is presented in partnership with Smithfield Foods. —Food52
Ingredients
- For the salad:
-
12 ounces
Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon
-
4
eggs
-
3
slices sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
-
1 tablespoon
olive oil
-
Kosher salt
-
Freshly ground black pepper
-
1
romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
-
1 pint
cherry tomatoes, halved
-
1/2
English cucumber, diced
-
6 ounces
pepperoncini, drained and chopped
-
2
small avocados, diced
-
1/2 cup
crumbled feta cheese
-
3 ounces
Smithfield Prime Fresh Smoked Ham, sliced into ½ inch-wide strips
-
3 ounces
Smithfield Prime Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey, sliced into ½ inch-wide strips
-
3 ounces
Smithfield Prime Fresh Hard Salami, sliced into ½ inch-wide strips
- For the dressing:
-
2 tablespoons
chopped fresh dill
-
1
garlic clove, minced or grated
-
1 teaspoon
salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
white sugar
-
1 tablespoon
lemon juice
-
3 tablespoons
mayonnaise
-
1 tablespoon
olive oil
-
2 tablespoons
whole milk
Directions
- Make the bacon: Heat the oven to 400°F. Place bacon on a parchment-covered sheet pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until it’s crispy, but not burnt. Remove the bacon from the pan and let it rest on a paper towel-covered plate for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, crumble into a small bowl. Turn the oven to 375°F.
- Make the eggs: Heat a medium saucepan of water to boiling and add the eggs. Boil for 15 minutes. Using a spider, spoon the eggs from the pan into a bowl of ice water and let them cool for 10 minutes. Peel the eggs under gently running cool water. Roughly chop and set aside.
- Make the croutons: In a medium bowl, toss the bread cubes with the oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Place them on a sheet pan and bake at 375°F for 5-10 minutes until crispy.
- Make the dressing: In the same bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Make the salad: In a large wide-rimmed salad bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and pepperoncini (if using). Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and toss with ½ of the dressing. Add the egg, avocado, feta and crumbled bacon. Toss briefly. Add the deli meat strips and croutons on top. Serve with a small bowl of the remaining dressing on the side.
See what other Food52ers are saying.