Bitter Greens Warm Bacon (Print version)

Hearty bitter greens tossed in a warm bacon vinaigrette with red onion and optional nuts and eggs.

# What You Need:

→ Greens

01 - 4 cups mixed bitter greens (escarole, frisée, dandelion, radicchio, chicory), torn into bite-size pieces
02 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Bacon Dressing

03 - 6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
04 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
05 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
06 - 1 teaspoon honey
07 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - ⅛ teaspoon salt
09 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Garnish (optional)

10 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
11 - ¼ cup toasted walnuts or pecans

# How to Make:

01 - Rinse and dry mixed bitter greens thoroughly. Place them in a large salad bowl with the thinly sliced red onion.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp, about 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving rendered fat in the skillet.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Add red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, black pepper, and salt to bacon fat. Whisk to combine, scraping browned bits from skillet bottom.
04 - Slowly whisk in extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing is warmed through and emulsified.
05 - Pour the warm dressing over the greens and onions. Add crisp bacon pieces and toss gently to slightly wilt the greens and coat evenly.
06 - Arrange salad on plates and garnish with hard-boiled eggs and toasted nuts if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The warm dressing does the heavy lifting, turning tough greens tender without any raw, bunched-up feeling.
  • Bacon fat is basically liquid gold, and using it instead of boring oil makes this salad taste effortless and rich.
  • You can have this on the table in thirty minutes, with almost no stress and minimal cleanup.
02 -
  • Cold greens plus a warm dressing equals a salad that tastes alive. If you let it sit too long, the greens get limp and sad, so timing is everything.
  • Don't skip drying the greens. Water is the enemy of a proper dressing. It will slide right off wet leaves instead of clinging and coating them.
03 -
  • Taste your dressing before you pour it. If the vinegar is too sharp, add a touch more honey. If it feels flat, add a tiny pinch more salt. You're seasoning to taste, not following rules.
  • Toast your nuts yourself if you have time. Store-bought toasted ones sit around and go stale, but you toast them fresh and they taste like they're supposed to taste.
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