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I wasn’t a big fan of salad until I discovered the secret – you need to combine ingredients that have different textures and flavors to strike a good balance.
Just like in this bacon Swiss salad. You want the dressing to be creamy but not too heavy, with a pleasant citrus aroma and some sweetness. Adding texture to a green salad is key. In this case, adding peas, thinly shaved cheese, and bacon will do the trick. They all have a different sort of meaty texture that makes your salad more interesting, so you won’t end up needing to pour two bowls of salad dressing on your greens.
Of course, using freshly baked bacon is always preferable, especially if serving for a party. But if you’re just fixing a weekday dinner, I think packaged (real) bacon bits are a better choice. With those, you’ll only need 10 minutes to put this satisfying salad together.
To complete the meal, try out bang bang shrimp, parmesan crusted chicken, or the easy honey glazed salmon. I promise you, you will only need 30 minutes to put together a lovely two-course dinner.
Isn’t it great?
DRESSING INGREDIENTS
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 (6-oz) packages real bacon bits
DIRECTIONS
- Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add frozen peas into a small bowl and heat up in microwave until just thawed.
- Combine salad greens, red onion, and frozen peas in a big bowl. Top with Swiss cheese and bacon bits. Pour in salad dressing and toss a few times right before serving.
