02 Apr 2008 12:23 AM

Strawberry Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

This can be a quick entree salad, or serve with grilled chicken for a complete low carb dinner. I prefer to use fresh romaine and tear myself, but bagged is faster. You will need to cook the bacon yourself on this one, though - no imitation bottled bacon bits!

Strawberry Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

For the salad:
1 (10 oz) bag Romaine Lettuce
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 cup English cucumber, sliced into half moons
1/4 red onion, vertically sliced very thinly
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toased
3 tb blue cheese crumbles, divided

For the dressing:
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tb balsalmic vinegar
2 tb rice vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tb honey
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Rinse romaine, drain well, and tear into bite sized pieces. Toss together lettuce, strawberries, onion, and almonds. Set aside.

2. Saute bacon pieces over medium heat in a non-stick pan until crisp (about 8 minutes). Drain bits on paper towels, and set aside. Drain and discard all but 2 tsp bacon drippings. Add remaining dressing ingredients to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk.

3. Add bacon to the salad and drizzle on the dressing, tossing to coat. Serve in individual plates and top each serving with 2 tsp blue cheese crumbles.

Serves 6 (about 1 1/2 cups per serving)

To view images of the dish, go to my photos.

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