Kale Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
March 5, 2024Learn how to make a mushroom, walnut and kale salad recipe. Dress it with a delicious bacon fat and olive oil vinaigrette. Packed with browned cremini mushrooms and crispy bacon pieces, this kale salad is so good, it's sure to become another favorite in your house.
Equipment
- 1 Skillet (I used my 12" cast iron skillet)
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 jar with lid (for vinaigrette, or use a bowl)
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 oz Kale Chopped into small pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 strips Bacon Thick Cut
- 8 medium-large Cremini Mushrooms cut into small pieces
- dash salt
- 2 tsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup walnuts
For Vinaigrette
- 2 TBS Bacon Fat aka Bacon Grease
- 2 TBS Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 2 TBS Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Fresh cracked pepper ~20 cranks of the pepper grinder
Instructions
Prep the Salad
- Put the prepared kale into the large bowl. Sprinkle the salt on top of the kale. Using your hands, massage the salt into the kale for about 1 minute. After a minute or so, the kale should feel soft and be brighter in color.8 oz Kale, 1 tsp salt
- Heat the skillet over medium heat. Lay the bacon into the heated pan. Cook on the first side for about 5 minutes or until well browned. Flip bacon over and cook on second side for another 3 - 4 minutes or until browned and crisp. Remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towel.3 strips Bacon
- Remove from heat and let pan cool down for a minute or two. After the pan has cooled a bit, drain the bacon fat into the jar (I like to have the jar with it's lid off set in the sink when I do this in case of dripping). Set bacon fat aside.
- Heat the pan over medium heat again. Put the chopped mushrooms into the pan and sprinkle some salt on them. Stirring every so often, cook the mushrooms for about 5 - 8 minutes. After the extra water has cooked out of the mushrooms, drizzle some olive oil on them and cook 3 more minutes. When the mushrooms are browned, take them out of the pan and put them in the bowl with the kale.8 medium-large Cremini Mushrooms, dash salt, 2 tsp olive oil
- Lower the heat to low and let the pan cool for about a minute. Once the pan has cooled a bit, add the walnuts to the pan. Stir the walnuts often to help toast them evenly and prevent burning. Once the walnuts are golden and fragrant, take them out of the pan and put them on a cutting board.1 cup walnuts
- Chop up the walnuts and bacon into small pieces. Add the walnuts and bacon pieces to the bowl of kale and mushrooms.
Prep the Vinaigrette
- Into the jar of bacon fat (if it has solidified, microwave for about 30 seconds), add in the olive oil, dijon mustard, and pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake it up until it is emulsified.2 TBS Bacon Fat, 2 TBS Olive Oil, 2 TBS Dijon Mustard, 1/2 tsp Fresh cracked pepper
- Pour the vinaigrette onto the kale, mushrooms, and walnuts in the large bowl. Using tongs, evenly dress the salad with the vinaigrette.
- Enjoy!