Bitter Greens Warm Bacon (Print)

A mix of bitter greens with warm bacon vinaigrette for a savory, hearty dish.

# What You Need:

→ Greens

01 - 4 cups mixed bitter greens (escarole, frisée, dandelion, radicchio, or 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

# Directions:

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

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The warm vinaigrette melts into bitter greens in a way that makes you forget you're eating something healthy.
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, which means you can serve something that tastes like you spent way more time than you did.
  • Bacon fat does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so the dressing tastes rich and intentional without needing cream or excessive oil.
02 -
  • The temperature of the dressing is essential—if it cools down before it hits the greens, it won't coat them properly and you'll lose that wilted, tender quality that makes this special.
  • Don't oversalt the dressing; the bacon already brings serious salt to the table, and you can always adjust at the end by tasting a leaf.
  • Whisk the oil in slowly and steadily while making the emulsion, or you'll end up with separated dressing that looks broken and tastes oily.
03 -
  • Make your dressing in the pan where you cooked the bacon instead of dirtying another vessel—those browned bits are flavor gold, and keeping everything in one place saves time and mess.
  • If you're worried the greens will cool too fast, warm your serving bowl or plates by running them under hot water before you plate the salad.
  • Taste as you go when building the dressing; vinegar strength varies by brand, so you might need a touch more honey or a pinch more salt to make it sing in your kitchen.
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