light-meals

BLT Salad with blue cheese dressing

February 10

This is a brilliant sharing salad platter that can be brought straight to the table, where people can just help themselves. All the key elements of a classic BLT sandwich are here but made a little more interesting; tomatoes slow roasted in the oven, lettuce drizzled with a blue cheese dressing and sourdough croutons make for a salad with serious wow factor!

Serves 4
60mins

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F.
2. Add the tomatoes to a large roasting tray and drizzle with oil and vinegar and season generously with salt & pepper.
3. Place in the oven to roast for 35-40 minutes or until reduced and caramelised.
While the tomatoes roast, prepare the bacon and romaine lettuce leaves.
4. For the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and season to taste. Set aside.
5. Toss the cubed sour dough pieces with olive oil and salt & pepper on a large roasting tray. Add to the oven alongside the tomatoes and roast for 10 minutes or until the bread turns crisp and golden.
6. Once cooked remove the tomatoes and bread from the oven and allow to cool.
Assemble the salad ingredients, the tomatoes, bacon, croutons and lettuce leaves, on a large platter and drizzle with blue cheese dressing just before serving.

8 slices smoked streaky bacon, fried until crispy

1 head romaine lettuce, leaves torn and washed

2 cups sour dough bread (half a loaf), cut into large croutons

Sea salt & ground black pepper

For the tomatoes:

12 oz cherry tomatoes (or a variety)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the dressing:

3/4 cup yoghurt

1 heaped tbsp mayonnaise

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

2 oz/3 tbsp blue cheese

Juice of ½ lemon