BLT Chopped Salad with Homemade Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Salad

cooked, diced bacon or faux bacon pieces (about 8 strips bacon, cooked to manufacturer’s instructions)

about 3 to 4 cups salad greens

small/medium ripe tomato, sliced into thin rounds

half of 1 cucumber, about 10 thinly sliced rounds

thinly sliced carrots

cup peas (I used frozen)

cup corn (I used frozen)

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

heaping cup mayonnaise (lite or reduced fat okay)

heaping cup sour cream ((lite or reduced fat okay; plain Greek yogurt may be substituted)

buttermilk + extra if necessary to thin

minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

to 2 tablespoons olive oil

to 2 tablespoon minced fresh green onion, scallions, or chives ( I used 1 trimmed green onion in entirety)

small garlic clove, peeled, optional and to taste

salt, or to taste

ground black pepper, or to taste