Chop Salad Recipe

Cook bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange 6 slices of bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Bake 12–18 minutes until crisp (rotate sheet once at 10 minutes), then transfer to paper towels to drain and cool. When cool, roughly chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Hard-boil eggs

Place 3 large eggs in a single layer in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit 9 minutes. Drain and transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Peel and quarter each egg.

Prep produce

Slice or quarter 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes in half. Cut 1 ripe avocado in half, remove pit, peel, and dice into 1/2-inch cubes. Tear or chiffonade 12 basil leaves. Measure 6 cups mixed salad greens and place in a large mixing bowl.

Assemble salad

Add chopped bacon, quartered eggs, diced avocado, halved tomatoes, crumbled 3 oz blue cheese, and torn basil to the bowl with the greens. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste). Toss gently to combine so avocado stays intact.

In a small jar or bowl, combine 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, and 1 minced garlic clove. Whisk while slowly pouring in 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust lemon, salt, or honey as needed.

Just before serving, drizzle about half the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing to taste (reserve any leftover vinaigrette for another use). Plate the salad and serve immediately so the greens and avocado stay fresh.