Belgian Vineyard Salad

I enjoy a salad that sneaks in bacon and a warm bacon-shallot dressing in the guise of being a “vineyard” salad by the addition of grapes. Sneaky umami.

This is another delicious recipe from “Everyone Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook” by Ruth van Waerebeek. She shares a host of fabulous recipes from all over Belgium with an emphasis on home cooking.

Overall, this is a very tasty salad, the sweet apple and grapes and savory bacon balance the bitter greens well and make for a complex and satisfyingly flavored salad. I would, however, so that the salad is not totally overpowered, recommend checking the bitterness of your raddichio/ chicory or bitter green of choice, it may need to be balanced with more baby kale or even little gem lettuce or another subtle flavored lettuce.

Vineyard Salad

 2 cups crunchy bitter greens such as chicory, escarole, or raddichio, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 cups baby kale or little gem lettuce
½ tart green apple, unpeeled, halved, and thinly sliced
1 cup red grapes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces thick sliced bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced shallots
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Combine bitter greens, apple, and grapes in a large bowl. Add the oil and mix. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned, 4-6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the shallots to cook for about two minutes until softened. Add the vinegar and bring to a quick boil. Reduce by one-third, this should take just a minute or two. Pour the hot mixture over the salad. Top with bacon.

From Everyone Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook by Ruth van Waerebeek

We served this with a Belgian Leek Tart.