Bacon Kale Bread Salad Recipe
Every week, we’re spotlighting a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Here, Robyn Andrea Burgess of Runaway Apricot shares a hearty bread salad that calls for kale and bacon. (Yes, it’s possible for both to exist in harmony!)
Photo: Robyn Andrea Burgess
Bacon Kale Panzanella
Serves 4 to 6
Let’s face it: cleaning and preparing fresh vegetables can be a bit of a bother when you’re ready to eat. You need an empty sink to wash the vegetables, a clear counter to lay a cutting board, and a knife. It’s asking a lot, and I know the struggle. That’s why the best way to up your vegetable consumption is to get the hard work done before the vegetables even find your fridge.
All lettuce and greens can be washed in advance. With kale, you can go the extra distance: Chop, season and dress it a few days early. The sturdy greens will soak up the added flavors and soften just the right amount. With a delicious, ready-made salad in your fridge, you’ll find yourself adding a mound of greens to your plate instead of reaching for snack food or a take-out menu.
1 bunch kale
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or oregano
1 lime, to zest and juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 slices bacon
6 slices thick sandwich bread, cubed
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced (optional)
Wash kale by submerging in a large bowl of cold water, letting the grit fall to the bottom and changing water as needed. Remove the tough center rib of each leaf and chop into small pieces.
Toss kale with onion, jalapeño, fresh herbs, zest and juice of lime, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made a few days in advance. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.)
Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Once browned on one side, flip and continue to watch closely as it cooks. Remove when crisp and cut or crumble into small pieces. Pour off grease until only about 2 tablespoons remain in the pan.
Add bread cubes to pan and stir to cook on all sides. Toss into kale salad with bacon pieces, tomato, and optional avocado. Enjoy while bacon remains warm.
More salads to swoon over:
An easy seaweed salad you can make at home
The Pollan family’s signature salad recipe
A kale detox salad to make everything better
What’s your favorite salad recipe? Tell us below!
