California Avocado and Tomato Salad with Crispy Crumbs and Bacon Vinaigrette

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Total Time: 15 min

Cook Time:

Nutrition information
per serving

This salad stacks up. Its unique “tower” presentation with toasty bread and an unexpected bacon vinaigrette will bring your BBQ party to life.

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Serves: 4

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8 (1/8-in. thick) slices country bread 2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp. sea salt 4 grinds fresh pepper 2 ripe Fresh California Avocados, peeled, seeded and quartered 4 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 4 Tbsp. Bacon Vinaigrette (see make-ahead recipe below) Bacon Vinaigrette 4 thick slices bacon, cut into short 1/16-in. thick pieces 2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. apple vinegar 1/2 Tbsp. honey 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard As needed Salt, to taste As needed Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Lay bread slices on a cookie sheet.
  3. Mix together olive oil, pepper and half the salt. Brush this mixture evenly on bread slices and place in oven. Cook until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 8-10 minutes.
  4. Cool bread completely, then place in a resealable plastic bag and crush into irregular croutons.
  5. Mash six of the avocado quarters with the remaining salt.
  6. Divided among each serving plate, layer one slice of tomato and drizzle with small, equal amounts of Bacon Vinaigrette. Follow with avocado mash and sprinkles of crispy crumbs. Repeat in each stack until all ingredients are used.
  7. Slice the remaining avocado quarter into six thin slices and place two slices on top each stack.
  8. Drizzle with remaining bacon vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Bacon Vinaigrette Instructions

  1. Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp then drain on paper towels.
  2. Transfer a spoonful of bacon fat to a large mixing bowl and add olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper.
  3. Whisk to form vinaigrette.

*Note: Recipe yields about 1/3 cup of Bacon Vinaigrette. There will be some left over.

 

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Did You Know?

It’s actually easy to create an avocado rose. If you are setting out a spread of appetizers, add a beautiful avocado rose to elevate the appeal. Or if you are looking for more casual appetizers try these California Avocado snack recipes.

As with all fruits and vegetables, wash avocados before cutting. Check out our tips for how to choose and use California Avocados

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