BLT Bread Salad

Aaron adores bacon and enjoys a salad with creamy dressing, though the texture of raw tomatoes remains a challenge for him. Julie appreciates the versatility of this salad, and she can substitute avocado for the tomatoes or add grilled chicken to make it an entrée.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1/3  cup  nonfat buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2  teaspoons  extravirgin olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  white wine vinegar
• 1  teaspoon  Dijon mustard
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  slices center-cut bacon
• 4  cups  chopped plum tomato (about 6)
• 4  cups  (1-inch) cubed Italian bread, toasted
• 3  cups  torn romaine lettuce
• 1  cup  vertically sliced onion

Preparation

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add reserved drippings to bowl; stir with a whisk. Add bacon and remaining ingredients; toss well.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

247 (33% from fat)

Fat:

9.1g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.8g)

Protein:

7.9g

Carbohydrate:

34.8g

Fiber:

3.7g

Cholesterol:

7mg

Iron:

2.3mg

Sodium:

517mg

Calcium:

111mg