Epic House Salad Recipe

Preheat and toss

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl, combine the cubed bread with 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried Italian herbs, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.

Bake

Spread the coated bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 10–12 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan; croutons will crisp further as they cool.

Hard-boil eggs

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit 10–12 minutes for fully set yolks. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, peel, and chop coarse.

Cook bacon

While eggs cook or earlier, fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8–10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk vinaigrette

In a small bowl or jar, combine 2 tbs red wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning. Alternatively, shake in a jar with a tight lid.

In a large salad bowl, place 6 cups mixed salad greens. Scatter 1.5 cups halved tomatoes, 1 cup sliced cucumber, and 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion over the greens.

Add the chopped hard‑boiled eggs and the chopped crisp bacon evenly over the salad.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated Parmesan over the top if using and add the cooled herbed croutons.

Right before serving, drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad (start with about half, ~2–3 tbs) and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing to taste. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed.