The most delicious blue cheese salad with bacon, avocado, maple walnuts and the best homemade blue cheese dressing ever! Crazy good and a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
Gather round, salad lovers! This Blue Cheese Salad with Bacon and Avocado is one you won’t want to miss!
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of salads – Dinner salads, side salads, chicken salad….you get the idea.
And my very favorite salads are ones like this, loaded with color, flavor, and texture, and topped with an incredible homemade dressing.
Who wouldn’t love a salad with crispy bacon, ripe avocado, and blue cheese crumbles, plus those fabulous, 10 minute maple walnuts…it’s a match made in salad heaven! And then there’s that super creamy, homemade blue cheese dressing…
How to Make Blue Cheese Salad with Bacon, Avocado & Maple Walnuts
- I like to make the blue cheese dressing first and set it aside, it’ll last up to 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Get the walnuts and bacon started in two separate pans at the same time. Brown the bacon over medium heat and follow recipe instructions for the walnuts.
- While the bacon and walnuts are cooking, mix the blue cheese dressing according to the recipe.
- Next prep the remaining salad ingredients. Gently toss the lettuce in a large salad bowl with a little dressing and about half of the cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, and crumbled blue cheese.
- Drain the bacon, then cut or break into crumbles. Transfer the walnuts to parchment paper to cool completely.
- Sprinkle remaining raw veggies and cheese on top of the salad, followed by bacon crumbles and maple walnuts. Drizzle with additional dressing and serve.
What to do with leftover Dressing
This dressing is pretty addictive, the whole salad was devoured minutes after I made it and it can truly transform the plainest salads!
The blue cheese dressing is super versatile and can be used in so many ways. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for around 3-4 days and can be poured over steak, grilled chicken or even add a drizzle to sandwiches, burgers and wraps.
I don’t recommend you freeze this dressing as dairy doesn’t freeze well and the texture can really be affected.
Top Tips for Making Bacon, Avocado Blue Cheese Salad
- The maple walnuts are an amazing addition but, if you don’t have time to make them, you can use raw walnuts or pecans.
- Make sure your blue cheese is very crumbly (or break/chop it) so it gets evenly distributed throughout the dressing.
- I use Amish blue cheese as it’s slightly milder and flavor but you can choose the strength you prefer.
- If you’re making this salad in advance I recommend not dressing the salad until last minute. Also, the avocado will oxidize so add that last minute too.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 1-2 days although it may wilt.
- Not a fan of blue cheese? Try my creamy feta dressing which would also work really well!
- Makes 3 large dinner salads or 6-8 small side salads.
- For the blue cheese, larger, heavier chunks will sink to the bottom of the mixture, but finer ones will more evenly incorporate so you get blue cheese in every bite!
Bacon, Avocado, and Blue Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head butter lettuce washed and chopped
- 1-2 persian cucumbers sliced
- few grape tomatoes halved
- 6-8 strips pastured bacon
- 1 small avocado cut into chunks
- 1 cup Easy Maple Walnuts (or can use raw walnuts)
- 2 oz crumbled blue cheese
For the blue cheese dressing
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup butter milk or 1/2 cup milk + 1 1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 oz blue cheese chopped or crumbled*see notes
Instructions
To make the dressing
- Mix all ingredients except blue cheese together using a whisk. Stir in blue cheese and serve.
To make the salad
- Get the walnuts and bacon started in two separate pans at the same time. Brown the bacon over medium heat and follow recipe instructions for the walnuts.
- While the bacon and walnuts are cooking, mix the blue cheese dressing according to the recipe.
- Next prep the remaining salad ingredients. Gently toss the lettuce in a large salad bowl with a little dressing and about half of the cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, and crumbled blue cheese.
- Drain the bacon, then cut or break into crumbles. Transfer the walnuts to parchment paper to cool completely.
- Sprinkle remaining raw veggies and cheese on top of the salad, followed by bacon crumbles and maple walnuts. Drizzle with additional dressing and serve.
Notes
- The maple walnuts are an amazing addition but, if you don't have time to make them, you can use raw walnuts or pecans.
- Make sure your blue cheese is very crumbly (or break/chop it) so it gets evenly distributed throughout the dressing.
- I use Amish blue cheese as it's slightly milder and flavor but you can choose the strength you prefer.
- If you're making this salad in advance I recommend not dressing the salad until last minute. Also, the avocado will oxidize so add that last minute too.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 1-2 days although it may wilt.
- Not a fan of blue cheese? Try my creamy feta dressing which would also work really well!
- Makes 3 large dinner salads or 6-8 small side salads.
- For the blue cheese, larger, heavier chunks will sink to the bottom of the mixture, but finer ones will more evenly incorporate so you get blue cheese in every bite!
Check out these other favorite salads!
Kale, Quinoa, and Cranberry Salad with Soy Lime Vinaigrette
Summer Superfood Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Love, love, love blue cheese so much – I have some- so perfect, as I will be making this dish as soon as tomorrow. Delicious!
What a great salad! I love the combination of rich flavors from the bacon, avocado and blue cheese! This tastes dreamy.
Thanks, Julie!
I really like strong blue cheese, so this is a great summer salad for me. So much nicer with the maple walnuts too! That added crunch is perfect!
Definitely – the maple walnuts are so key!
Love the salad not just for that crunchy bacon but because this has so many delicious layers of flavor!
Thank you, Gail.
Wow! This is what I’ve been looking for, a very healthy and nutritious salad with my favorite bacon and cheese dressing.
Enjoy, Amy!
This looks sooo delicious. We love blue cheese salad already, but I think you can add ‘with bacon and avocado’ at the end of just about anything and have a winner 😉
100%! 🙂
The flavors here are amazing, love the maple walnuts! A salad full of texture – and of course the dressing – just my thing!
🙂
Wow, this salad is loaded with so many good things, love the color and the amazing dressing.
Thanks, Jere.
This salad is my everything! I would substitute the blue cheese dressing for ranch, just because I’m not a blue cheese fan. But everything else is YUM!
It’s GREAT with ranch too!
YUM! Love all the flavors and textures in this salad! And the blue cheese dressing really is the best!