This Savory-Sweet Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing has it all! Mixed greens are tossed in a homemade Hot Bacon dressing and then finished with a few savory and sweet toppings. The homemade Hot Bacon dressing delivers all of the savory-ness and is complemented by fresh apple slices, creamy goat cheese, and a touch of sweetness from golden raisins. Of course, this is all finished with crunchy bits of real bacon for a bit of extra flavor and crunch! This is a good one, so let's dig in.
Savory-Sweet Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
As mentioned above, this salad dressing gives us all of the savory flavors you could want in a salad dressing. It's quick and easy and uses very simple ingredients:
- Warm Bacon Drippings
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Kosher Salt
- Pepper
Whisk all of these ingredients together in a small bowl until evenly combined. If the dressing separates on you, just give it a quick whisk to revive it. You can also add all of these ingredients to a mason jar and shake it instead of whisking!
Pro Tip: Keep the dressing warm on the stove until right before you're ready to serve it. The bacon drippings in the dressing can and will set up as it cools down. This definitely takes away from the whole experience.
Salad and Toppings
Start off with a base of mixed greens, including spinach, kale, arugula, chard, etc. This provides a variety of flavors within the salad that offers more complexity than a salad made of, say, just spinach or romaine hearts, etc. Toss the greens in the warm dressing, then top it with the following:
- Sliced Honey Crisp, Gala, or Fuji Apples (any semi-sweet red variety will work great)
- Golden Raisins
- Crumbled Goat Cheese
- Fresh Black Pepper
Savory-Sweet Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing Serving Suggestions
This is a great appetizer or side salad for just about any meal! It really shines next to roasted meat or anything that is rich or protein-heavy. Think things like pot roast, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or pork chops! Here are a few recipes that I recommend serving this salad with:
Storing and Reheating Tips
If you have leftover dressing, keep it stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. As always with salad, be sure to save the dressing separately from the salad itself; otherwise, you'll end up with a nice, soggy pile of lettuce! The dressing will last for about a week in the fridge.
Reheating this dressing is as simple as warming it up in the microwave or on the stovetop until just heated through. Keep it warm until you are ready to serve!
Give this recipe for Savory-Sweet Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing a try, and let me know in the comments below how it came out! If you enjoyed it, please don't forget to leave a rating below as well.
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Recipe
Savory-Sweet Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
Hot Bacon Dressing
- 8 Strips Bacon Sliced into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ Cup Warm Bacon Drippings Reserved from cooking the bacon
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Honey
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt Plus More To Taste
- Black Pepper To Taste
Salad and Toppings
- Mixed Greens Salad Spinach, Kale, Arugula, Chard, etc.
- 1 Semi-Sweet Red Apple Thinly Sliced or Diced - Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji Apples work great
- Cooked Bacon Pieces From Above
- ¼ Cup Golden Raisins
- ¼ Cup Crumbled Goat Cheese
- Fresh Black Pepper To Taste
Instructions
Hot Bacon Salad Dressing
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the sliced bacon. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove the bacon pieces, reserving ¼ cup of the bacon drippings. Place the bacon pieces on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Reserve the cooked bacon pieces for a salad topping.
- While the bacon is cooking, combine the cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until completely incorporated.
- Add the reserved bacon drippings to the other dressing ingredients, and whisk to combine. (Pro Tip: Keep the dressing warm until right before you are about to serve it. The bacon drippings will set up if it gets too cool.)
Salad Assembly
- Toss the mixed greens with the prepared salad dressing, and plate into individual portions.
- Top the salads with some of the cooked bacon, apple slices, crumbled goat cheese, golden raisins, and a couple cracks of fresh black pepper.
Lorie Klickman says
This is a beautiful salad and the flavors meld so well together.
Spencer Klickman says
It's definitely one of my favorites!