I was not in the mood for soup today, but I was in the mood for a salad. My husband had a calendar from work and it had a salad recipe in it, so I decided to change it up a bit, and boy was it good! And so I am sharing my Bacon Berry Winter Salad with you today.

What Ingredients Do I Need For Bacon Berry Winter Salad?

Salad:

• Bacon or turkey bacon
• Fresh baby spinach
• Romaine lettuce
• Pear
• Crumbled goat cheese
• Fresh raspberries
• Chopped pecans toasted

Dressing:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Strawberry preserves
• Olive or avocado oil
• Dijon mustard
• Garlic clove
• Cinnamon
• Natural salt and black pepper

How Do I Make Bacon Berry Winter Salad?

Salad:

• Cook the bacon according to package directions.
• Once the bacon is cool, cut or crumble into bite size pieces.
• In large salad bowl, combine spinach, lettuce, pear, crumbled cheese, raspberries and pecans.
• Toss with salad spoons.

Dressing:

• Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, yogurt, preserves, oil, mustard, garlic and cinnamon.
• Add salt and pepper to your taste.
• If you are serving it right away, add 1/2 of the dressing.
• Use the rest of the dressing as you like; some people like more.

The original salad had pomegranate seeds, but I looked in a couple of different stores and I couldn’t find any pomegranates. So I decided that the raspberries would work well. Yes, they did. You could also use blackberries or blueberries in place of the raspberries.

You could use 8 ounces of bacon, but I like using 4 ounces of bacon. The dressing called for low fat Greek Yogurt, but I use high fat. 

Another thing that I did was use only about 1/8 teaspoon crushed garlic. And the goat cheese I use, is Goat Cheese with cranberries and cinnamon!

What are the Advantages of Oven Baked Bacon?

• It’s quick and easy.
• You can make more at once.
• It’s the best way to cook bacon evenly.
• It’s hands off in that you can place it in the oven and go do something else.
• No splattering.

Links to More Really Good Salads:

Chopped Greek Salad

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

Southwestern Chicken Salad

Yield: 6 people

Bacon Berry Winter Salad

Print

This bacon berry winter salad is very refreshing. Made with spinach, romaine lettuce, bacon, raspberries, and goat cheese, drizzled with balsamic dressing.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounce package of bacon or turkey bacon
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 3 cups romaine lettuce cut into bite size pieces
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans toasted

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon strawberry preserves
• 3 teaspoons of olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Natural salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon according to package directions. (I like to place mine in the oven on a cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes on 350 degrees or until it is done to your likeness).
2. Once the bacon is cool, cut or crumble into bite size pieces.
3. In large salad bowl, combine spinach, lettuce, pear, crumbled cheese, raspberries and pecans.
4. Toss with salad spoons.

Dressing:

1. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, yogurt, preserves, oil, mustard, garlic and cinnamon.
2. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
3. If you are serving it right away, add 1/2 of the dressing.
4. Use the rest of the dressing as you like; some people like more.
5. Eat right after you add the dressing or add the dressing in individual servings as you eat the salad, as the dressing breaks down the berries quickly.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 250Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 30mgSodium 570mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 12g