Covert Chopped Salad Recipe

Prepare eggs

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn off heat, cover, and let sit 9 minutes for hard-cooked yolks. Transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel and chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook bacon

While eggs cook, lay bacon slices in a cold skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp and peppered (about 8–10 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Prep produce

Rinse romaine hearts, dry thoroughly, stack leaves and slice crosswise into a fine chop to yield about 6 cups. Halve grape tomatoes. Thinly slice green onions on the bias, reserving a few green tips for garnish.

Assemble salad

In a large bowl combine chopped romaine (6 cups), halved grape tomatoes (1 cup), chopped hard egg (from 3 eggs), chopped pepper-smoked bacon (6 slices), and sliced green onions (3 stalks). Toss gently to combine. Crumble bleu cheese (3 oz) over the top, season with coarse sea salt (1 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper (1/2 tsp).

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together white balsamic vinegar (3 tbsp), Dijon mustard (1 tsp), honey (1 tsp), minced shallot (1 tbsp), and minced garlic (1/2 tsp) in a small bowl until smooth.

While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil (6 tbsp) to emulsify into a creamy dressing. Season with salt (1/2 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper (1/4 tsp). Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity — add up to 1 tsp more honey or 1 tsp more vinegar as desired.

Just before serving, pour vinaigrette over the assembled salad (start with about 3–4 tbsp for 4 servings), toss gently to coat evenly. Garnish with reserved green onion tips and an extra sprinkle of bleu cheese if desired. Serve immediately.