Name: Tangy Greens With Bacon-y Breadcrumbs
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: ½ cup buttermilk; ⅓ cup mayonnaise; 2 3x2" strips lemon zest, very thinly sliced; 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice; 1 small garlic clove, finely grated; ½ cup chopped dill, divided; Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper; 6 slices bacon (about 6 oz.), finely chopped; 1 cup panko; 3 heads of Little Gem lettuce or 1 large head of romaine lettuce, leaves separated; 1 lb. tomatoes, halved, quartered if large

salad on a sunny setting with yellow surface and drinks surrounding

Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.

There is a time and place for big chunky croutons with their chewy-crunchy texture, and then there is right now, when we want to see showers of crisp bacon-y panko fall all over every last corner of our salad. It stays wondrously crunchy (even when riding on top of tomatoes) and brings the rich flavor of bacon with it, pairing supremely well with creamy buttermilk and dill-packed dressing. The key here is layering the lettuces and tomatoes to ensure every bite is well-seasoned and coated with seasoned panko and cool dressing. Call it a BLT salad, call it ranch salad; it’s got just enough going on for us to call it dinner. Thanks to BA’s VP of video programming, June Kim, for inspiring this recipe. —Chris Morocco

What you’ll need

Salad Spinner
$43 $31 At Amazon
Whisk
$14 $13 At Amazon
Medium Skillet
$70 $50 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon

Recipe notes

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