Possibly my favorite salad…delicate butter lettuce with dollops of bright homemade ranch, crispy panko and toasty walnuts.
Ingredients
1 head butter lettuce
3/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
1 teaspoon heavy cream or milk
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, ground
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, divided
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Roughly tear the washed and dried lettuce and place in a salad or serving bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, mayo, cream or milk, ground peppercorns, salt, garlic powder and paprika and stir until combined. Add the chopped dill and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and stir to combine. This makes a fairly thick dressing, if you prefer a more runny dressing, add additional cream or milk until you reach your desired consistency. Add additional salt to taste.
In a small skillet on medium high heat, add panko, walnuts and olive oil. Stir to allow breadcrumbs to absorb the oil, and cook until toasted. Breadcrumbs will be a light golden brown. Remove from heat.
Dollop the dressing over the greens. Sprinkle with toasted crumbs and walnut mixture. Top with the remaining lemon zest. Dress with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and additional fresh dill. Serve immediately.
Leftover ranch dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and used as a dip or for more salads.