Warm Bacon, Pear, and Kale Salad, goat cheese, walnuts, cranberries and pears tossed in a warm bacon dressing… beyond delicious!
You guys. This salad is what dreams are made of. Seriously. BACON. GOAT CHEESE. CRANBERRIES. WALNUTS. PEARS. Okay… it might not sound amazing but, trust me on this one. Holy cow.
I made this yesterday for this recipe post and let’s face it, it’s a pretty big salad. I have all intentions of this being a starter salad for 2-3 people.
And, of course, I was going to have it for lunch, but I didn’t think I would eat the whole thing by myself. Woops. So, I guess what I’m saying is, yes, this can be an entree salad for one as well, lol.
This salad just has everything. It has everything, salty, sweet, tart, crunchy, creamy. Ugh, I’m making this again today, it’s decided.
But, the star of this salad are the kalettes. I know, what’s a kalette?
A kalette is a kale sprout, a cross between kale and Brussel sprouts. They can be eaten raw, like in this salad, or steamed, roasted, sauteed, grilled, anyway really!
They are a new non-GMO vegetable that has a fresh, nutty taste. It came out in the fall of 2014 and are rich in essential nutrients like Vitamins B6, C, and K.
And, if I do say so myself, go amazingly in salads! They are a hearty leaf, so I wanted to make them into a salad that would hold up to them. I believe I did that with this recipe.
Adding a warm dressing poured directly on the kalettes wilts them every so slightly and I think it is just an amazing feature of this salad.
Warm Bacon, Pear, and Kalette Salad
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut bacon 1/2 inch dice
- 1 small shallot sliced thin
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 5 cracks fresh black pepper
- 6 oz kalettes stems trimmed and sliced in half length-wise
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced julienne
- 2 teaspoons dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoons chopped toasted walnuts
- 3 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles
- 1/4 bartlett pear thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place bacon in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Cook bacon until crispy, drain on a paper towel. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Removed from heat, add the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and pepper, stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add in the kalettes. Pour the dressing on top and toss everything until coated. Add the remaining ingredients, toss to combine, serve.
This is such a simple recipe with a HUGE kick of flavor, I’m telling you will be going back to this recipe again and again.
What is your favorite way to eat kalettes?! Let me know in the comments below!
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'Til Next time!
http://thissillygirlskitchen.com
This salad is so packed full of yummy stuff I don’t know where to begin. Warm bacon, pears…oh my gosh YUM!
http://thissillygirlskitchen.com
This is an absolutely beautiful salad! The flavors, textures and colors are just stunning.