Skip the salad bar and DIY your way to my all-time favorite recipe for Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette.
Last week, Leftover Halloween Candy Blondies got the best of me. But I promised today’s recipe would star nutrient-packed leafy greens. And that it does. It also happens to star bacon, and more specifically, warm bacon vinaigrette. Leave it to me to transform kale—thou holiest of all trendy superfoods—into a salad with hot bacon drippings as a sidekick.
There’s just something about a warm bacon vinaigrette that makes people weak in the knees. It also relaxes uptight leafy greens just to the point where they bend at the bite while retaining their crunch.
This dressing features a quick mix of warm, rendered bacon fat with minced shallots, tangy apple cider vinegar and a dollop of Dijon. And then it’s time to let that salad freak flag fly, as you toss in the likes of toasted nuts, crispy chickpeas (my fave!) shredded parmesan or dried cranberries—all ready for a bacon bath. I’ll leave you with that thought. A bacon bath.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs kale, washed and thoroughly dried
- 1/3 cup toasted nuts (such as walnuts, pecans or almonds)
- 1/3 cup crispy chickpeas
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 Tablespoons minced shallots
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Strip the leaves from the stems of the kale, and then roll up the leaves and chiffonade them into thin strips. Place the kale in a large bowl then add the toasted nuts, crispy chickpeas and Parmesan.
- Cook the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat, reserving all drippings and leaving all crunchy bits in the pan. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Return the sauté pan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon drippings back to the pan. (If you don't have 3 tablespoons of drippings, use what you have plus some olive oil.) Add the shallots and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard and brown sugar, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove the vinaigrette from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
- Chop up the reserved bacon and add it to the bowl with the kale and nuts. Toss the kale with the warm dressing and serve immediately.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
I loved it without bacon! As always thanks for the great recipes . Happy Thanksgiving to all .
Pat
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying Just a Taste, Pat! Happy Thanksgiving!
We adore ADORE this salad !! I’m old enough to remember the 60’s Warm Bacon Spinach salad….a nostalgic dish. I cook for a living and had a hankering for the throw back version and found your Kale + Warm Bacon Salad…. My husband went nuts !! The sturdiness of the kale is a game changer and makes this brilliant warm salad one that holds up for hours….unlike the original. We add whatever is on hand….roasted bell peppers….veg from lady night’s dinner….the chick peas are STELLAR but it’s just as good without – ditto for any dry, sturdy grated cheese (manchego is incredible). We’re going to add it to Thanksgiving this year !!! Thank you ever so much !!!
Love, love, LOVE reading this, Julia! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Skipped the chickpeas and added walnuts instead. So delicious!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jessica!
How do you make crispy chickpeas? Thanks, Judy
Hi Judy! Here’s the link to my recipe for Crispy Chickpeas that can be made in the oven or an air fryer: https://www.justataste.com/crispy-chickpeas-air-fryer-oven-recipe/
My food grumpy husband loves this! Good and cool after he has been working in the sun all day.
I’m so thrilled you and your husband have been enjoying the recipe, Renay!
Just as good without bacon . Always love trying something new from you.
Thanks Pat
I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying Just a Taste, Pat! :)
I received rave compliments from all guests at a recent dinner party! I am definitely going to make it again!
Woohoo! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed the recipe, Pat!
BEST salad ever!! I’ve passed this recipe on to many friends/family and they all say the same thing, it’s delicious and crave worthy! My friend made it for dinner 3 nights in a row! Yes, it’s that good!
LOVE reading this, AJ! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying (and sharing!) the recipe. :)
I would suggest using honey instead of sugar in the salad dressing.
That works, too, Roger! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I found this recipe and wanted to have it with our Thanksgiving meal…to say it was the highlight of the meal would be an understatement! This salad is DELICIOUS! I had to make it again (this time adding some chicken on top) and my husband said I could eat this every single day…I have to agree. It’s a delicious salad/meal! LOVE this recipe!!!!!
Love, love, LOVE reading this Andrea! It’s one of my all-time favorite salads, too. I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
Hi, I think this will be a great salad…. I do have a question, how do you make the fried chickpeas? I don’t believe I saw anything on how to do them or if you add seasonings to them. You are an amazing cook. Thank you so much for all you do…. God Bless. Claudia
Hi Caludia! You can make the crispy chickpeas by tossing cooked chickpeas (that you’ve dried well) with olive oil and your preferred spices. Spread them on a lined baking sheet and bake them at 425°F for about 25 minutes or until they’re crunchy. Enjoy!
Really tasty will make again
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Steve!
Made this on New Year’s day for a healthy start to the new year. Delicious, everyone loved it! I added a thin sliced Granny Smith apple and some dried cranberries. I’ll be adding this to my regular kale sides rotation. Thanks for the great recipe!
You are so welcome, Sheri! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Delicious. Quick and easy to make.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jeff!
Salad sounds great can’t wait to make it, what seasoning goes on the Chickpeas?
Any variety would work! I like a combo of cumin and a little chili or chipotle for a kick!
Great combination of tase and texture
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Renee!