This cos heart salad dressed in a creamy buttermilk dressing, garnished with grated parmesan and crispy bacon lardons ticks all the boxes for a light and flavourful salad. It can be eaten as a side, an entrée or even as a light main course.
In a bowl combine all the ingredients and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
for the salad
cut the cos hearts in half lengthwise and wash in cold water. Dry with a salad spinner or a paper/kitchen towel.
for the lardons
Cut 1cm (about ½ inch) slices from the bacon slab and then cut those into even stripes or batons.
Next, heat a frying pan on high heat and add the lardons to the frying pan without any oil. Reduce the heat to low and cook from all sides shaking the pan occasionally.
The lardons should render in their own fat for about 4-5 minutes. Place the lardons on a paper towel to absorb the fat.
for plating up the salad
To plate up the salad, cut the cos hearts in half lengthwise in two's or four's and place on a plate. Drizzle a generous amount of the buttermilk dressing over the salad and season with salt and pepper.
Grate parmesan over the dressed cos hearts and sprinkle the crispy lardons. Serve immediately.