Chef Salad Recipe

Breakfast

1. 1

   Prep greens

   Rinse and dry the romaine lettuce, then roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large salad bowl as the base.

2. 2

   Prepare vegetables

   Rinse the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Slice the cucumber into thin rounds and add to the bowl.

3. 3

   Cook eggs

   Hard-boil the eggs: place eggs in a pot, cover with water, bring to a rolling boil, then simmer for 9–12 minutes. Cool under cold water, peel, and slice into quarters.

4. 4

   Add deli meat

   Warm or arrange the deli turkey or ham and scatter over the greens.

5. 5

   Add cheese

   Cube the cheddar cheese and distribute over the salad.

6. 6

   Prepare bacon

   Crisp the bacon in a skillet or oven; crumble into small pieces and scatter on top of the salad.

7. 7

   Prepare avocado

   Slice the avocado, remove the pit, and fan the slices over the greens.

8. 8

   Add crunch

   Add croutons to the salad for extra texture.

9. 9

   Add olives

   If using, slice olives and scatter over the salad.

10. 10

    Garnish

    Chop parsley and sprinkle over the salad as a fresh garnish.

11. 11

    Make vinaigrette

    In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper to make a light vinaigrette.

12. 12

    Dress and toss

    Drizzle the vinaigrette over the assembled ingredients and toss gently to coat the greens without making them soggy.

13. 13

    Serve

    Divide the salad into two bowls and serve immediately, with extra dressing on the side if desired.