Do you remember warm spinach salads with hot bacon dressing on top? Warm kale salad takes that idea but makes it better adding in layers of flavor in a wilted kale salad you’ll want to keep on your regular rotation.
Wilted Kale Salad for the Win
The beauty of a hearty green like kale is how it beautifully holds up once dressed. You’ll find this wilted kale salad tastes even better the next day as the dressing combines well with the greens. You could also use another hearty sturdy green like cabbage in this salad or if you’re wanting a throw back and planning to eat the salad right away, a more delicate green like spinach would work well too.
Easy Vinaigrette is Within Grasp
Making a batch of Instant Pot Bacon Fig Jam has so many uses and one of our favorites is to make this easy vinaigrette. It concentrates the flavors of the shallots, figs, and bacon into a jam that once warmed up springs back to life. We suggest using apple cider vinegar for a bright fruity acidic addition, but other vinegars that would taste great in the warm kale salad include sherry vinegar or a combination of balsamic and champagne vinegar too. But really, use what you have on hand—even lemon juice would be good too.
Warm Kale Salad with Fig Bacon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Fig Bacon Jam Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons Bacon Jam with Figs and Shallots
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Salad
- 4 ounces kale stems removed + thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons roasted almonds chopped
- 3 Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid Golden Figs stems removed + sliced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs quartered
Instructions
- Warm bacon fig jam with apple cider vinegar in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir to combine. In a steady stream, whisk in oil until combined.
- In a salad bowl, drizzle on the bacon dressing, using tongs to toss. When cool to the touch, massage the kale with your hands until the volume of the kale decreases by half.
- Either place the bowl in the microwave to warm for 45 seconds to warm the salad up, or heat over medium in a skillet.
- Toss the chopped almonds and figs into the salad. Portion out the salad into salad bowls and place hard boiled eggs on each serving.
