Easter is next week, so I wanted to share one more recipe that would be a great addition to your holiday spread. This salad is so light, but full of freshness and flavor. It comes to gather in less than 30 minutes and will work well with anything you want to serve it with (or even as a light meal on its own). We’re talking Blueberry & Bacon Spring Salad, and trust me, it’s a game-changer.
As far as ingredients, you’ve got your classic greens – a mix of baby spinach and arugula. Then some sweet, juicy blueberries. And because we’re living our best lives, we’re adding crumbled goat cheese. Chèvre, to be fancy. And the star of the show? Bacon. Glorious, crispy, thick-cut bacon.
But here’s where things get really interesting: the vinaigrette. Now, you know I love a good homemade dressing, and this one? It’s next level. We’re using the rendered bacon grease as part of the dressing. Yes, you heard that right. Bacon grease. Don’t judge me until you’ve tried it. It adds this smoky, savory depth that balances the sweetness of the honey and the tartness of the lemon.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Bacon: Cook it up nice and crispy. Let that fat render, friends. That’s liquid gold.
- Greens: Spinach and arugula. Fresh, vibrant, and ready for action.
- Blueberries: A little tart, a little sweet.
- Goat Cheese: Creamy, tangy, and just plain tasty.
- Vinaigrette: Olive oil, honey, Dijon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and…you guessed it, warm bacon grease.
I know, I know, bacon grease in a salad dressing sounds a little…out there. But trust me on this one. It rounds out the perfect balance of sweet, savory, fresh, and umami. So, go ahead, give it a try. You won’t regret it.
Happy cooking, friends!
Blueberry & Bacon Spring Salad
Ingredients:
- 5 strips thick-cut bacon chopped
- 5 oz baby spinach washed and dried
- 5 oz arugula washed and dried
- 6 oz fresh blueberries washed and dried
- 4 oz goat cheese chèvre
For the vinaigrette
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2.5 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 3 tbsp bacon grease warm
Directions:
- In a pan on medium heat cook the bacon, rending the fat from it. Remove from the pan into a bowl lined with paper towel to drain. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the bacon grease to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice. Once the bacon grease is cooled, add it to the dressing and whisk together until uniform (if the dressing becomes clumpy, microwave it for about 10 seconds to warm the bacon grease back up).
- In a large bowl, toss together the greens. Top with the cooked bacon, blueberries, and crumbled chèvre. Pour the dressing over top and toss together to combine evenly. Serve immediately.
We’ve made this recipe a half a dozen times now and love it! Quick and easy!
When we have extra time, we include sauteed onions.
I made this recently and it is amazing!!!!! Had some ingredients left over and made it again for my lunch. I love new recipes, please keep ’em coming.
We add grilled chicken, and it’s become our new favorite dinner. Thanks for the killer recipe!
Could not have been better just wonderful. I have copied 6 tomes and given a to my family and friends.
So good!! We tried it for our Easter dinner tonight and it was a hit! I forgot to save my bacon drippings so I just used a little more olive oil and my Dijon was a coarse kind but it was still so yummy! Thanks for sharing this recipe!