This lacinato kale salad with warm bacon vinaigrette is made with the Italian relative to its more common “cousin”, curly kale. Lacinato is a deep blue-green color, with a puckered surface, and like its cousin, it is a sturdy green, full of nutrients, that can stand up to a warm vinaigrette—a nice change from lettuce salads. Enjoy this hearty salad as a side, or add a little cooked chicken, if you’d like some protein, for a complete meal.
Lacinato Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Recipe
This lacinato kale salad with warm bacon vinaigrette is made with the Italian relative to its more common “cousin”, curly kale. Lacinato is a deep blue-green color, with a puckered surface, and like its cousin, it is a sturdy green, full of nutrients, that can stand up to a warm vinaigrette—a nice change from lettuce salads. Enjoy this hearty salad as a side, or add a little cooked chicken, if you’d like some protein, for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 bunches lacinato kale
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 1/2 red bell pepper cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips
Dressing
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt or to taste
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
Instructions
- Wash kale in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, remove stems and coarse veins, and chop kale into bite-sized pieces. Place chopped kale and red onion slices in a large salad bowl, and set aside.
- For dressing, cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon from the skillet, chop, and reserve.
- To the bacon drippings in the same skillet, add only enough olive oil to equal 1/4 cup. Heat the combined drippings and the olive over medium heat until hot. Stir in the minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes, to taste.
- Pour mixture over torn kale and onion slices, and stir until well coated with the hot dressing. Add chopped apricots, blanched slivered almonds, and red bell pepper strips.
- Give the salad a final toss, and garnish with reserved chopped bacon.
