Bitter Greens Warm Bacon (Printable)

Savory bitter greens dressed with warm bacon vinaigrette and garnished with eggs and nuts.

# What Goes In:

→ 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Rinse and dry mixed bitter greens thoroughly. Place in a large salad bowl with the thinly sliced red onion.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp, about 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving rendered fat in the skillet.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Add red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, black pepper, and salt to bacon fat. Whisk to combine, scraping browned bits from skillet bottom.
04 - Slowly whisk in extra-virgin olive oil until dressing is emulsified and warmed through.
05 - Pour hot dressing over greens and onion. 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 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can make it for unexpected guests without stress.
  • The warm dressing does all the work for you—no need to fuss with emulsions or worry about balance.
  • Bitter greens taste better when they're treated this way; hot, savory, a little bit dangerous.
02 -
  • The dressing must be hot when it hits the greens—if it's gone lukewarm, your salad won't taste right and the leaves won't wilt the way they should.
  • Don't skip drying the greens. Wet leaves will make your dressing separate and thin, turning the whole thing watery instead of rich.
03 -
  • Have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking bacon—dressing comes together fast once the bacon is done, and you don't want it cooling while you're hunting for the mustard.
  • If your kitchen is cold, warm your salad bowl with hot water before adding the greens; the bowl will help keep everything at the right temperature longer.
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