Bitter Greens Warm Bacon Dressing (Printable)

Hearty bitter greens tossed in a warm bacon vinaigrette with hints of Dijon and honey.

# Components:

→ 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 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/8 teaspoon salt
09 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Garnish (optional)

10 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
11 - 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans

# Directions:

01 - Rinse and dry mixed bitter greens thoroughly. Place greens and thinly sliced red onion in a large salad bowl.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp, about 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate, leaving rendered fat in 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 browned bits.
04 - Slowly whisk in extra-virgin olive oil until dressing is emulsified and warmed through.
05 - Pour hot dressing over greens and onions, add crisp bacon pieces. Toss gently to wilt greens slightly and coat evenly.
06 - Arrange salad on plates. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs and toasted nuts if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The warm dressing does the real work, transforming tough greens into something unexpectedly tender without drowning them.
  • You get crispy bacon, a proper dressing, and actual depth of flavor in under thirty minutes, which feels like cheating.
  • It's equally at home as a first course at dinner or a light meal on its own, depending on your mood and what else you've made.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the greens—moisture is the enemy of a proper warm dressing, and it's the only place you can actually fail at this recipe.
  • The magic happens when you pour hot dressing over cold greens; the temperature contrast is exactly what you want, so resist the urge to let the dressing cool down.
03 -
  • Prep everything before you start cooking bacon—once the dressing hits the skillet, you're moving fast, and there's no time to chop onions or hunt for the vinegar.
  • The rendered bacon fat is where all the flavor lives; don't drain it completely, and don't let it burn or cool down before building your dressing.
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