I was looking for some ideas for out of the ordinary dressings and my friend Heather (who writes a funny parenting and design blog over at Home to Heather) suggested a warm bacon dressing. This sounded like it would be perfect for my kale, one of the few things that I actually managed to grow in my garden this year. I’m not sure whether this is what she had in mind, but it was delicious nonetheless. I ate this entire salad almost all by myself. It was even really good the next day.
Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
(adapted from Just a Taste’s Raw Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Dressing)
- 1 bunch kale
- ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 6 slices bacon (3 TBSP bacon fat reserved)
- 2 garlic scapes (or 1 clove garlic)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- salt and pepper
- Chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a frying pan. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan and dispose of any remainder. Add a little olive oil if you are short on bacon fat. Let the bacon dry and cool.
- Saute the garlic in the bacon fat for 1 minute over medium heat. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard and brown sugar and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and just starting to brown. Stir constantly.
- Wash, dry and stem kale. Then slice thinly.
- Toss the kale with the dressing and add the seeds and bacon to the salad.
Did They Eat It?
Deb – lovely. one of the nicest ones I’ve had.
Nicky (17 months) – Loved munching on the kale leaves from the salad
Gordie (4.5 years) – Thought the bacon from the salad was okay but would be better without the dressing.
Dana – I thought this salad was great. I’m wasn’t sure if it would hold up the next day when I had pre-dressed it but it was still great though less crunchy.
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