Perfectly crunchy and crisp gem lettuce is one of life's great pleasures when it comes to salads. Yes, salads can indeed be pleasurable. This little gem salad with sour cream and onion dressing is a surefire way to eat your salad greens (and enjoy them!). I've also added crispy thick cut bacon because it tastes delicious, but you can absolutely leave it off if you prefer.

I don't know about you, but sour cream and onion flavoured chips were always my favourite flavour. So when I had the thought to turn some nostalgic chip flavours into inspired recipes, I knew I had to start with sour cream and onion. This sour cream dressing is tangy, creamy, thick and full of onion flavour. Onion powder (and a good dose of it) gives this dressing a signature onion-y flavour that really can't be beat. Plenty of chives add to the flavour too. But, if you really want even more sour cream and onion flavour, go ahead and crush some chips up and top your salad with them. It's still a salad with or without the chips ;)

Ingredients

Here are all of the ingredients you'll need to make this little gem salad with sour cream and onion dressing.

• bacon
• panko
• sour cream
• chives
• onion powder
• onion flakes
• garlic powder
• kosher salt & black pepper
• lemon juice
• worcestershire sauce (optional)
• honey
• dijon mustard
• little gem heads of lettuce
• flaky salt, for garnish
• sour cream and onion chips (optional)

How to Make A Delicious Little Gem Salad

Making this little gem salad with sour cream dressing is super easy. Here's what to do.

Cook your bacon until crispy and then roughly chop and set it aside.

Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet drizzle a small amount of oil over medium-low heat. Add the panko and toast until golden, tossing and stirring often. Remove from the heat and add set aside.

In a bowl combine the sour cream, chives, onion powder, onion flakes, garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice, worcestershire, honey and mustard. Mix well to combine. The dressing will be thick, you can thin with a drizzle of oil or water.

Add the gem lettuce to a large bowl and drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to combine. You may have leftover dressing.

Top the salad with bacon, panko and extra chives. Garnish with flaky salt and chips (if using). Serve and enjoy!

Tips

• Dress lightly: start by dressing the salad lightly with the dressing. The sour cream and onion dressing is thick and will weigh down the little gem salad. You can always add more as needed, but start with a light dressing and toss first.
• Prep ahead: you can easily prep the sour cream dressing ahead and store it in the fridge until ready to use. The bacon and panko can also be prepped ahead as well.
• Don't skip the flaky salt: the coarse flaky salt adds a little something to the salad, so if you have it, I don't recommend skipping it.

Substitutions

• Gluten-free: you can use gluten-free panko or other type of breadcrumb, or skip it and just use some gluten-free sour cream chips instead.
• Little gem lettuce: if you can't find little gem, use mini romaine lettuce or romaine hearts as they would be the most similar.
• Worcestershire sauce: you can omit, or use a small splash of light tamari or soy sauce instead.
• No pork: omit the bacon, or use turkey bacon instead.
• Sour cream: although it won't be the exact same, you can use Greek yogurt instead.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

I share these products to show you what I choose to use in my kitchen as staple ingredients I use daily (or weekly).

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

Flaky salt:

I always, always have Maldon flaky salt on hand and add it to almost all of my dishes as a finishing salt. I can't recommend this enough.

More Salad Recipes

If you love a good salad, be sure to check these out!

• My most popular go-to lemon kale salad with parmesan and crispy prosciutto
• Chorizo Potato Salad with Chipotle Dressing
• Orzo & Grilled Corn Salad with Chipotle Dressing
• Watermelon and Radish Salad with Burrata
• Radicchio & Arugula Chopped Italian Salad
• Chickpea & Lentil Salad with Feta
• Crispy Oyster Mushroom Salad with Arugula
• Greek Lentil Salad
• Summer Farro Salad with Corn
• Viral Dill Pickle Potato Salad
• Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

Alright, are you ready to make this?

If you make this little gem salad with sour cream and onion dressing, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram, or leave a comment and/or review below!

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