Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Mushroom Vinaigrette - Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
is one of our absolutely favorite things to eat! This hearty salad is full of flavor and the perfect way to combine healthy kale leaves, pomegranate seeds, and salty bacon. Creating a kale salad recipe that makes the perfect side dish or entree salad and is sure to please even picky eaters!
Warm bacon dressing is traditionally served with a spinach salad, but we love kale and it holds up in texture to the warm bacon dressing. We added mushrooms and pomegranate juice a long with a little bit of red wine vinegar for added tartness, creating the perfect balance of flavor with the bacon fat and salty bacon.
Hearty salads make great sides and starters for any holiday menu or any day of the week. For more salad ideas try our Autumn Apple and Barley Salad, Broccoli Crunch Salad, or Roasted Asparagus and Golden Beet Salad.
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What You're Going to Need!
- Kale leaves - we used lacinato kale cut into bite-sized pieces for this recipe.
- Pomegranate seeds - add a bright fresh burst of flavor.
- Mushrooms - we love cremini mushrooms, and they are available at most grocery stores.
- Shallots - add so much flavor to sauces and dressings.
- Thick cut bacon - apple wood smoked is perfect for this recipe.
- Cheddar cheese - we used a sharp crumbly aged cheddar cheese.
- Pomegranate juice - adds the perfect amount of tart sweetness needed for this dressing.
- Red wine vinegar - is a great way to add a little additional acid.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe
Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Mushroom Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Clean and destem the kale. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and place it in a large bowl.
- Cut the bacon into ¼ inch pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Place the bacon into the pan and cook until the pieces are evenly brown and crispy. Lower the heat and remove the crispy bacon pieces from the pan, drain them on a plate lined with a paper towel. Then add the crispy bacon to the large bowl containing the other ingredients.
- Add the small, diced shallots to the large skillet containing the bacon grease. cook the shallots for a minute then add the sliced mushrooms, salt, and black pepper.
- Cook the mushrooms until they are softened. Then add the pomegranate juice and red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan.
- Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, then pour the mushroom mixture into the large bowl over the kale, add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Use tongs to toss all of the ingredients together. And enjoy!
Nutrition
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Let us know how it was!How to Make Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Mushroom Vinaigrette
- In a large skillet cook the bacon pieces until they are brown and crispy, rendering out the fat.
- Remove the crispy bacon and drain them on a paper towel.
- Lower the heat and add the diced shallots to the pan.
4. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt, and black pepper.
5. Cook the mushrooms until they are softened.
6. Add the pomegranate juice and red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan and remove all the wonderful brown bits!
7. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes combining all of the flavors.
8. Pour the warm vinaigrette onto the kale.
9. Add the remaining ingredients in the large bowl.
10. Toss the ingredients together, serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Chef Tip
When slicing the bacon into pieces make sure the bacon is cold. Place it into the freezer for 5-10 minutes before cutting it. Cold bacon is much easier to slice than warm or room temperature bacon.
Substitutions & Variations
- Kale - we used lacinato kale, however you could use curly kale or even baby kale.
- Cheese - blue cheese would be a great substitute for aged cheddar cheese.
- Juice - apple juice would be a good substitute for pomegranate juice (you could use apple cider vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar for a balanced combination of flavors).
Have a Specific Food Allergy?
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Storage & Helpful Hints
This hearty and delicious kale salad recipe is best made right before you serve it. However, you could prepare all of the ingredients and store them in separate containers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days until you are ready to cook and serve it.
FAQ
Shiitake or cremini mushrooms are ideal for their meaty texture and umami flavor. You can also use oyster mushrooms for variety.
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