Chef Salad Recipe

Cook bacon

Place bacon strips in a cold skillet in a single layer. Turn heat to medium and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. When cool, crumble or chop into bite-sized pieces.

Hard-boil eggs

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil over 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 ham and turkey

Slice the ham and turkey into bite-sized strips or cubes (roughly 1/2-inch pieces). Measure and set aside.

Rinse and dry the romaine and mixed greens thoroughly. Chop the romaine into roughly 1-inch pieces and combine with the mixed baby greens in a large salad bowl.

Halve the avocado, remove the pit, scoop out the flesh and slice or cube it. Toss gently with a pinch of salt to prevent browning if not serving immediately.

Dice the tomato into 1/2-inch pieces and drain any excess juice on a paper towel. Measure the shredded mixed cheese and set aside.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or shake until emulsified and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Assemble the salad: On top of the greens arrange the ham, turkey, crumbled bacon, quartered eggs, diced tomato, avocado pieces, and shredded cheese in sections or evenly distributed according to preference.

Dress and finish: Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and gently toss or leave composed and serve dressing on the side. Serve immediately so avocado and greens remain fresh.