Okay, I have a confession to make: I'm not a big "burger person." For some reason, this American classic never really satisfied my palette. That was, until, I tried the Culver's Butter Burger on a road trip to Indiana.
I don't know what they put in this thing, but I could not stop thinking about it. Eventually, I found this midwestern fast food staple 30 minutes away from me and have hit it up for all kinds of yummy treats.
But let's face it: A burger is not an everyday thing. At least for me. Hence I revitalized my new burger-love into a salad that takes maximum 15 minutes to make. Perfect for lunch and filled with essential fast food flavors, its ingredients can be tweaked to fit into any dietary restriction.
Ingredients
1-2 cups chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 patty of choice (I used turkey) seasoned to taste (I used salt and pepper and garlic powder)
5-10 cherry tomatoes, halved (but any chopped tomato will do)
1-2 finely chopped dill pickles
*optional* 1 tablespoon shredded cheese of choice
1-2 Tbs favorite salad dressing (I used light ranch)
Steps
1) Thoroughly cook and season the patty per package instructions, let cool for 2 minutes to avoid the lettuce wilting
2) Chop lettuce and assemble base in a bowl or large plate
3) Cut tomatoes, pickles, and any other desired toppings and add on top of the lettuce
4) Cut cooled patty to liking (I cut into 12 pieces, I like a piece of the patty in every bite) and add to salad
5) Add cheese and dressing, optionally season with salt and pepper
Full disclosure: Burgers are a very personal thing. Every time I've made this recipe, I've changed something about the ingredients (adding celery, peppers, changing the dressing, omitting the cheese, etc.) Let the salad reflect your flavor preferences and have fun with it!