Pages

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Recipe: A nutty salad with boiled egg, bacon and croutons

A few years ago, I was not very fond of salads. My perception of salads changed when I learnt how to make vinaigrette dressing and nowadays, we have salad at least once a week, usually served with our main meal. Great for a quick lunch too.

A nutty salad with boiled egg, bacon and croutons


When I make a salad, the must-have ingredient for me are cherry tomatoes. Recently I have started buying this brand called "Latoma" cherry tomatoes which comes from Johor in Malaysia. I like them because they are firm yet juicy. Textures are important too, so I add Japanese cucumber and a variety of nuts such as walnuts and almond flakes. Boiled eggs are great too, since they are a good source of protein. And if my mum is having some of my salad, freshly grated cheese is always a must! This combination works well for me, but if I'm feeling a little indulgent, I would also make some mini croutons as well as fried bacon topping.

Beautifully vibrant and so colorful - it's no wonder we love salads now!




A nutty salad with boiled egg, bacon and croutons
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 slices white bread, cut into 1cm chunks
1 1/2 tbsp EVOO
3 rashers streaky bacon, cut into thin strips

For the salad
1 Japanese cucumber, cut into small cubes
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
50g green salad leaves, washed
20g walnuts, broken into small pieces
20g almond flakes
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered (method here in Step 1)
1 spring onion, finely sliced

For the dressing
1 1/2 tbsp EVOO
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp soft brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional
Freshly grated parmesan


1. Firstly, make the croutons. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and then add the bread chunks. Cook for 1 1/2 -2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2.  Using the same oil, cook the bacon until crispy, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Place the salad leaves, cucumber and spring onion in a large bowl and pour the dressing over it. Toss the salad using your hands until the leaves are evenly coated. Then, sprinkle on the cherry tomatoes, walnuts, almond flakes, boiled egg, spring onion, croutons and bacon just before serving. If you like, you can grate some more Parmesan cheese on top of the salad.


*Another great way for using up those leftover Easter Eggs.

I am submitting this to my friend mui mui's Little Thumbs Up "Tomato" event.

39 comments:

  1. Hi Yen! I have salad for lunch every weekday except Friday!

    Would like to try your version... :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why not on Friday? That's so healthy... I still need my meat most days. :P

      Delete
  2. Anybody would lick off that colourful and healthy plate!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Amrita! I love colorful food, it makes me want to eat it more :D

      Delete
  3. I like to add some nuts or seeds to my salad too,. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and almond flakes are my favourite! hehehe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also like pumpkin seeds... but too lazy to roast them myself this time. Hehe!

      Delete
  4. I love salad with tomatoes too! Your salad looks really beautiful and healthy. Love to try it soon :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ann. Cherry tomatoes takes salad to the next level.

      Delete
  5. Salad is always healthy even with just a simple dressing with just olive oil and lemon juice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe I guess mine is not so healthy cos of the bacon, right? :P

      Delete
  6. Nice. I like egg in salads.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Homemade salad dressing can make all the difference ! Your salad looks simple yet full of texture and flavor :) Very yummy .......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Anne! I am gonna make sure my kids eat and love salad. So they grow up loving healthy food.

      Delete
  8. I did not used to eat salads too... I used to call it grass ha ha. Now I love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! I believe at one time I also used to call it "grass"

      Delete
  9. I like the dressing! Not too heavy type...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I dont like salad cream, too cloying for me.

      Delete
  10. Love the simple salad that goes very well with the dressing of your choice.

    I don't mind having this every day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And best of all, it takes very little time to put together. :)

      Delete
  11. My must have ingredient in salad is boiled egg and mushrooms! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't mind having this as my lunch!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just love nuts in my salad now... and bacon... that one makes everything taste superb!! hehehe...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenn, I knew you would approve of this salad cos got bacon :P Hehe!

      Delete
  14. oh yeah, i used to not be a fan of salads either, but i like them now. especially salads that use rocket leaves! and/or eggs, like this one, heheh :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah yes sometimes we use rocket leaves too, but they don't keep very well in the fridge so once we open the pack, we usually have to use it quite quickly.

      Delete
  15. Yen, that is such a beautiful and delicious salad! Are the nuts toasted or raw?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ya, this salad can be served for a good lunch too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The croutons, boiled eggs and bacon makes it more substantial.

      Delete
  17. I must admit that I adore salads too! But only really in warm or hot weather! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha I guess that's why it's perfect in KL. Hot all year round.

      Delete
  18. Certainly agree on the dressing, it makes all the difference!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yen,
    This is such a lovely salad.
    Healthy some more!
    Next time I want to do my salad like yours!
    Yum!
    mui

    ReplyDelete

Please drop any comments or questions you may have here. Thank you so much for reading!