Bitter Greens with Bacon Dressing (Print Version)

Hearty bitter greens tossed in a warm, savory bacon vinaigrette with optional eggs and nuts for added texture.

# Components:

→ Greens

01 - 4 cups mixed bitter greens (escarole, frisée, dandelion, radicchio, chicory), torn
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 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - ⅛ teaspoon salt
09 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Garnish (optional)

10 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
11 - ¼ cup toasted walnuts or pecans

# Directions:

01 - Rinse and dry mixed bitter greens thoroughly. Place them with sliced red onion in a large salad bowl.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in the skillet.
03 - Lower heat to low. Add red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, black pepper, and salt to bacon fat. Whisk thoroughly, scraping up browned bits.
04 - Slowly whisk in olive oil until the dressing is emulsified and warm.
05 - Pour hot dressing over greens and onions immediately. Add crisp bacon pieces and toss gently to slightly wilt greens and coat evenly.
06 - Arrange salad on plates and garnish with hard-boiled eggs and toasted nuts if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Bitter greens stop tasting harsh once they meet warm bacon fat and vinegar—it's a transformation that feels like discovering a secret menu item.
  • Ready in 30 minutes start to finish, which means dinner happens without the seven-pan guilt.
  • Warm dressing cooks the greens just enough to soften their edge while keeping them alive and textured.
02 -
  • If the dressing breaks and looks oily instead of silky, it usually means you whisked too fast or the pan was too hot; start over with a clean pan and move slower.
  • The greens must be genuinely dry before the dressing touches them, or bitterness and warmth won't soften them properly—dampness gets in the way.
03 -
  • Room-temperature greens take the warm dressing better than cold ones fresh from the refrigerator; let them sit out for five minutes before you start cooking.
  • The moment the dressing is ready is the moment to pour it; every second it sits cooling means you lose the subtle wilting that makes this salad different from regular cold salads.
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