Chopped Salad with Apples, Bacon, and Turkey Recipe

When it comes to chopped salads, the results can often seem like an after­thought, with a huge assembly of ingredients that suggests whatever was in the refrigerator got thrown into the bowl. Just rely on just a handful of ingredients to provide texture and flavor, and we use a full-flavored blue cheese dressing to pull it all together. For blue cheese flavor in every bite, whisk half of the cheese into the vinaigrette and add the remaining cheese just before serving.

Smoked turkey, crisp apples, bacon, and a simple blue cheese vinaigrette come together to satisfy my seasonal taste buds.  You can add a few more ingredients like shallots, which help balance all the sweet and savory flavors.  Some enjoy the addition of dried cranberries and toasted pecans (more seasonal flavors) to round out the salad, but you can certainly omit them. Serve the extra sides in bowls and allow your family and/or guests to serve themselves.

Whisk ½ cup cheese, oil, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl until smooth and creamy.

Chopped Salad with Apples, Bacon, and Turkey – Bacon

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.

Add lettuce, apples, turkey, bacon, and remaining cheese to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Chopped Salad with Apples, Bacon, and Turkey Ingredients

Serves 4
1 cup crumbled blue cheese – room temperature
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
8 slices bacon, chopped
2 romaine hearts, chopped 2 apples, cored and cut into
½ inch cubes
8 ounces thick-cut deli smoked turkey breast, cut into ½-inch pieces