Corned-Beef Salad with Thousand Island Dressing and Rye Croutons

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You’ve probably eaten a sandwich with a salad inside; now try a salad with a sandwich inside. Strips of corned beef are tossed with lettuce and rye-bread croutons, then topped with Thousand Island dressing—the real old-fashioned kind with “islands” of pickle relish, hard-cooked egg, and chopped scallion. Slideshow:  More Terrific Salads 

Corned-Beef Salad with Thousand Island Dressing and Rye Croutons
Photo: © Evi Abeler
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 3 cups 1/4-inch cubes rye bread

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

  • Dash Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon pickle relish

  • 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped

  • 3 scallions, white bulbs and green tops chopped and reserved separately

  • 1 head green leaf lettuce (about 3/4 pound), torn into bite-size pieces (about 2 1/2 quarts)

  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce (about 1 pound), torn into bite-size pieces (about 1 1/2 quarts)

  • 1/2 pound sliced corned beef, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toss them with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the croutons are crisp and starting to brown, 5 to 10 minutes.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the pickle relish, the egg, and the scallion bulbs and stir to combine.

  3. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuces, scallion tops, and corned beef. Serve topped with the dressing and the croutons.

Notes

Variations

• Instead of the corned beef, add strips of deli pastrami, ham, or turkey.

• Use romaine instead of iceberg lettuce.

Suggested Pairing

South Africa's unique Pinotage, a red grape created by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsault, has rich red-berry flavors and a hint of earthiness.

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