Fall Harvest Salad with a Warm Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette
Servings 4
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of thick bacon cooked and roughly chopped, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon grease for the dressing
Warm Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette:
- ½ small shallot finely diced
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1-1½ tbsp red wine vinegar to taste
- 1 tbsp reserved bacon fat leftover in the skillet
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Remaining Salad Ingredients:
- 5 oz mixed greens
- ½ small Honeycrisp apple thinly sliced
- ½ small ripe pear thinly sliced
- ½ cup sliced carrots
- 2-3 tbsp toasted pecans chopped
- 2 tbsp gorgonzola crumbled
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy. Place the bacon on paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.
- Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet.
- Prepare the warm maple-bacon vinaigrette by adding the shallot to the large skillet with bacon grease over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the real maple syrup, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste in the large skillet with the bacon grease. Whisk until well combined. Taste and add more vinegar if desired.
- Prepare the salad by tossing the greens with some of the well-whisked warm maple-bacon vinaigrette to taste, and toss to coat evenly.
- Finish the salad by pouring the dressed lettuce onto a serving plate. Top with apple, pear, and carrot slices, along with the pecans and gorgonzola. Season with freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with any remaining dressing on the side.