All Day Poppin BLT Panzanella Salad with Avocado Puree
Thick-cut bacon is cubed and cooked in a skillet until crispy and golden. Next, day-old sourdough is sliced, tossed in rendered bacon fat and toasted. Summer tomatoes are diced and salted. Finally, romaine hearts are thinly sliced. Everything is added to a bowl along with chives and basil and tossed with dressing. Avocado, white miso, vinegar or lemon juice, and a touch of honey are blended until smooth and seasoned to taste. To plate, the puree will be spread on the bottom and topped with the panzanella for a bright and bold salad version of everyone’s favorite summer sandwich.
Ingredients
1 lb thick-cut bacon
1 ½ cups cubed day-old bread, cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 10-ounce package cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Poppin All Day seasoning
1 teaspoon honey
2 medium avocados, pitted and skins removed
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 small clove garlic, peeled and
1 cup shredded romaine hearts lettuce
½ cup fresh soft herbs (such as chives, basil, parsley, dill, and tarragon), chopped, plus more for garnish
Preparation
Preheat the oven to broil. Cook the bacon In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
Add bread cubes to a sheet tray and toss with ½ cup rendered bacon fat and toast in an even layer for 1-2 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and season with salt to taste, set aside.
Add sliced tomatoes to a small bowl fitted with a mesh colander, season with salt and set aside to drain.
In a large bowl whisk together vinegar, All Day Poppin’, ½ teaspoon honey, and pinch of salt. Stream in ¼ cup olive oil and whisk to emulsify. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
In a food processor or blender, combine avocado, zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon, ½ teaspoon honey, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and blend, streaming in remaining ¼ cup olive oil until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add remaining lemon half as necessary. Transfer to a ziptop bag or piping bag.
Add toasted bread, ½ the bacon bacon, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste.
To serve, squeeze avocado purée along the edge of the plate. Top with salad mixture and garnish with reserved bacon and remaining fre. Enjoy!
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