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Warm Bacon, Pear, and Kale Salad, goat cheese, walnuts, cranberries and pears tossed in a warm bacon dressing… beyond delicious!
A kale salad with the best toppings ever- you will love this!
Kale Salad
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 kale bacon salad just has everything. It has, salty, sweet, tart, crunchy, creamy. Ugh, I’m making this again today, it’s decided.
But, the star of this salad are the kalettes.
What is 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!
Can’t find Kalette- that’s okay just substitute Kale instead!
They are a non-GMO vegetable that has a fresh, nutty taste.
Are kaletts good for you?
Yes! Kalettes 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 the warm bacon dressing poured directly on the kalettes wilts them every so slightly and I think it is just an amazing feature of this salad.
How to make this Kale Salad:
Fry up the bacon.
Saute the shallots in a little bit of bacon grease, then add in the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and pepper.
Combine kale, bacon, cheese, pears, and top with the dressing!
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.
A warm bacon dressing combined with the sweet pear- it’s near perfection!
What is your favorite way to eat kale?! Let me know in the comments below!
If you like this recipe make sure to check out these:
Tools used to make this Kale Salad:
Serve this Kale Salad with:
- Creamy One Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Chili’s Copycat Cajun Pasta Recipe with Chicken
- Hearty & Easy Italian Meatball Soup Recipe
Warm Bacon, Pear, and Kale 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 or kale 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/kale. Pour the dressing on top and toss everything until coated. Add the remaining ingredients, toss to combine, serve.
Nutrition
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This is an absolutely beautiful salad! The flavors, textures and colors are just stunning.
This salad is so packed full of yummy stuff I don’t know where to begin. Warm bacon, pears…oh my gosh YUM!