Cucumber Ranch Crack Salad (Printable)
Crisp cucumbers meet creamy ranch dressing, bacon, and cheddar in this addictive crunchy salad.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 3 cups cucumber, diced (about 2 large cucumbers)
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Proteins and Dairy
04 - 1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled (about 8 slices)
05 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
06 - ½ cup sour cream
07 - ½ cup mayonnaise
08 - ¼ cup ranch dressing
→ Crunchy Toppings
09 - 1 cup crushed kettle-cooked potato chips or gluten-free crackers (optional)
→ Seasonings
10 - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
11 - ¼ teaspoon onion powder
12 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - ¼ teaspoon salt
# Directions:
01 - In a large bowl, combine the diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and green onions.
02 - Add in the crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese to the vegetable mixture.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the dressing over the cucumber mixture. Gently toss to coat all ingredients evenly with the creamy dressing.
05 - Just before serving, top with the crushed potato chips or crackers for extra crunch, if desired.
06 - Serve immediately, or chill for 30 minutes for best flavor development.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of cool crisp cucumbers and smoky bacon creates this incredible contrast that keeps you coming back for another bite
- Everything comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like you spent way more effort on it than you actually did
02 -
- The dressing can make the cucumber release water if it sits too long, so those chips really need to go on right before serving
- This salad is best within a few hours of making it, though the flavors actually meld beautifully after about 30 minutes in the refrigerator
03 -
- Seed your cucumbers if they have large seeds, otherwise they can make the salad watery
- The kettle-cooked chips really do make a difference here, regular ones get soggy too fast