Summer salad with avocado dressing and biscuit croutons.

Yes, you read that right: Biscuit croutons. Why it’s never occurred to me to turn stale, day-old biscuits into croutons, I’ve no idea. [Maybe because biscuits never stick around long enough to become day-old around here?]

This salad is just so summery-tasting, I can hardly stand it. Fresh garden lettuce and sun-kissed cherry tomatoes. A tangy avocado dressing with a hit of basil. And, ahem, those biscuit croutons. You could skip the lettuce altogether and spoon some of the dressing over a plate of mixed sliced tomatoes and halved cherry tomatoes, scattering a few croutons over the tomatoes just before serving (kind of like a panzanella salad).

Have at it!

biscuit croutons

1 or 2 day-old biscuits
1 or 2 Tbsp. good olive oil
seasoned salt

Use a sharp knife to cut the biscuits in half horizontally, then into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat 1 or 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet until shimmery; add a biscuit cube, and if it sizzles gently, the oil is warm enough. Add the biscuit cubes and cook over medium heat until they’re deeply toasted and dark golden brown all over, about 5 or 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

creamy avocado basil dressing recipe

(makes a generous cup)

1 ripe avocado
2 Tbsp. non-fat plain Greek yogurt
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 Tbsp. finely minced green onion
1/4 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
2 or 3 Tbsp. water
salt and pepper to taste

In a mini food processor or the jar of a stick blender, scoop the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, green onion and basil. Puree briefly, then add water 1 Tbsp. at a time and continue blending until the dressing’s consistency is to your liking. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

The basil avocado dressing would be wonderful tossed with cooked potatoes and diced scallions for an interesting potato salad, or mixed with diced cooked chicken and your favorite chicken-salad ingredients. It would also be killer on a turkey sandwich or a BLT.