BLT Chicken Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
This salad is so hearty and filling I have a hard time remembering it is, in fact, a salad.
It starts off with what looks like a great salad by itself… shredded chicken, chopped tomatoes, avocados and bacon crumbles over a giant bowl of baby spinach. Would be great with a light vinaigrette or buttermilk dressing!
Not today, though.
We’re going for the dark stuff. It looks a lot like the remnants of an oil change, but it’s way better.
Pay attention now. Seriously.
After the bacon was cooked, I left all of the drippings in the pan and added balsamic vinegar and thinly sliced onion to sizzle away for a couple of minutes. The result: a warm bacon “vinaigrette.” A quick meal for a hot day. (Unless it’s so hot you can’t handle cooking bacon. Then I would definitely save it for later.)
You can’t switch out the bacon. Then it would be a “Chicken LT Salad with Warm… Dressing.” What that warm dressing would be made out of is beyond me.
See why leaving the bacon out makes no sense? That’s pretty much my stance on most things.
Speaking of bacon and salads… check out the step-by-step post I did for the Tasty Kitchen Blog! Have you ever had a Breakfast Salad? The maple vinaigrette and cinnamon toast croutons might just convince you to try it.
BLT Chicken Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
6 slices uncooked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 medium red onion, sliced very thinly
3 T balsamic vinegar
10-12 ounces of fresh baby spinach or mixed salad greens
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and choppedDirections:
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring frequently. Transfer the bits to a stack of paper towels to drain.
Remove all but 3 T of bacon drippings from the pan and return it to medium heat. (I had just slightly more so I left all the drippings in the pan.) Add the onion and vinegar to the drippings and stir to heat through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Place the salad greens in a large bowl. Top with shredded chicken, chopped tomato and avocado. Pour the warm onions and dressing over the top. Toss to coat and sprinkle the bacon bits over the top.
Makes about 4 main dish servings.
adapted from Bon Appetit's Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook
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Lauren's Latest — August 26, 2011 @ 1:52 pm
I think I may just die! This sounds amazing!
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pinksuedeshoe — August 26, 2011 @ 2:45 pm
Oh yum. Bacon is on my shopping list for today, and this might end up as lunch on Sunday. It looks amazing!
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Joanne — August 26, 2011 @ 7:17 pm
Any salad that makes you forget it's a salad has to be a keeper!
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Christine's Pantry — August 27, 2011 @ 3:14 am
Looks wonderful! Yum!
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Ann — August 27, 2011 @ 4:24 am
Hi Natalie! Another gorgeous salad! Bacon makes everything taste better…and avocado is one of my very favorites!
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cookies and cups — August 27, 2011 @ 7:12 pm
Yes please to this salad..not something I thought I would ever say to a salad! I am all about the warm dressing..delicious!
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myfudo — August 28, 2011 @ 4:36 am
Must be a product of one's health conscious imagination. I want to try it for my diet program.
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myfudo — August 28, 2011 @ 4:38 am
Almond will give a twist on that Phirni. I would love to taste that rich and creamy treat.
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thenewlywedchefs.com — August 28, 2011 @ 8:24 pm
Oh. my. GOODNESS. This looks amazing!! You have some awesome recipes. Thanks for sharing!
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Denise — August 28, 2011 @ 10:16 pm
I love ALL things bacon…can't wait to try this!
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Jolene - EverydayFoodie — August 30, 2011 @ 4:38 am
That looks like the perfect salad. Anything with bacon makes me really happy :-)
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STAY AT HOME CHEF — August 31, 2011 @ 2:03 pm
Oh my goodness this salad looks amazing! Love the balsamic onion goodness to top it all off…I just might have to make this for dinner tonight.
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Budget Gourmet Mom — August 31, 2011 @ 9:11 pm
I love warm salads and I make far too little of them! Bacon always makes everything better and salad is no different!
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Nancy — September 6, 2011 @ 4:03 am
This sounds fabulous and I love the addition of the caramelized onions!!!
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