Warm Bacon Dressing for Salad or Beans
This recipe courtesy of Dirk’s mother, Sarah.
Every Spring, my mother would mix a large batch of dandelion greens with this dressing. Even as a young adult I wasn’t a fan of the strong, slightly bitter taste of dandelion greens, but that bacon…! My younger self preferred this dressing with spinach or green beans (delicious!), but my maturing tastebuds also enjoy this warm dressing with arugula’s strong, peppery, slightly bitter flavor which is similar to dandelion greens. But still, the bacon…!
Warm Bacon Dressing for Salad or Beans
Ingredients:
· 6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled, reserve pan drippings
· 2 Tbsp red wine or apple cider vinegar
· 1 Tbsp lemon juice
· 1 tsp sugar
· ½ tsp ground black pepper
· Optional Ingredients: Fresh Greens, (dandelion, spinach or arugula), finely chopped green onions, green beans, boiled potatoes, garbanzo beans, sliced red onion, or chopped boiled eggs
Instructions:
Fry the bacon. Remove bacon from the pan, crumble, and set aside. Reserve the drippings in the pan.
Carefully add vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and pepper to pan drippings. The mixture will splatter if the drippings are still hot. Stir over medium heat until hot.
Taste dressing and adjust vinegar and sugar amounts for your personal preference. Remember to add gradually. You can add more, but you can’t take it back out. If it’s already too tart, add just a bit of salt to temper the tanginess. The bacon is salty too, so proceed with caution.
Place preferred greens, (dandelion, spinach, or arugula) in a large bowl. Add optional ingredients such as finely chopped green onions, boiled potatoes, garbanzo beans, sliced red onion, or chopped boiled egg. Green beans may be used in place of the greens.
Toss dressing over greens and other add-ins.
When ready to serve, add crumbled bacon and toss to mix.
Enjoy immediately as a side salad with grilled meats, sausages, or chicken, or as a meal, depending on your additional selections.