B.A.T.L. Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

A bacon, avocado, tomato and lettuce. B.A.T.L.  Another way of saying it is a BLT sandwich in a bowl with avocado. I was in the mood for something relatively light. It's been a while since I've made myself a good salad and I didn't want to cook anything heavy either. Besides I love salads especially when they have a good vinaigrette to go into it.

I made a roasted garlic vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, some dry herbs, and a few cloves of roasted garlic that I minced up and mixed all of is together. Crumbled the bacon over the salad like those Bacos bacon bits. Remember those? They tasted like bacon, but I'm sure they were made of something else. I also made some croutons by cutting up some bread, tossing it a tiny bit of olive oil and toasting it in the oven.

A sandwich in a bowl. I like the sound of that. This is great for those watching carbs, too. Though, i'm not one of them.

Serves 2

B.A.T.L. Salad

1 ripe avocado
1 large ripe tomato - diced or 1 lb cherry or grape tomato
1 medium head lettuce (red leaf, romaine, or iceberg)
4 bacon strips
roasted garlic vinaigrette (recipe below)
croutons (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)

In a skillet, cook the bacon strips until it is brown and crisp. Place on a paper towel to remove any excess fat.

Assemble the salad together and crumble the bacon over the top along the croutons. Drizzle the garlic vinaigrette over. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese.

Note: To make homemade croutons, cut a couple slices of bread into squares. Toss it in a little olive oil and toast in a 350˚F preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown and toasted.

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette


4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry thyme
salt and pepper


Roast the garlic cloves in a 375˚F oven until they are soft and lightly browned.

Let the garlic cool a little bit before handling them.

Combin the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, dry basil and thyme. Mince the garlic and add to the vinagrette. Whisk together and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Note: You can also us a blender or food processor.