Garden Goodness: Wilted Lettuce with Bacon Vinaigrette

Growing up on a farm, this is a salad that my mom made as soon as the leaf lettuce was ready. She always added sliced hard-cooked eggs to the salad, along with garden radishes and green onions.

Our garden lettuce is ready and so are the radishes and green onions, so wilted lettuce salad was on tonight's menu.

Fresh from the garden this morning!

Wilted Lettuce with Bacon Vinaigrette  About 4 side dish servings or 2 main dish servings

3 to 4 cups leaf lettuce (or use other varieties that are available) -- if using garden lettuce, wash & rinse several times (I put it in a bowl of cold water for a quick soak, then rinse & spin dry in a salad spinner)

4 to 5 (or more) thinly sliced radishes

2 green onions, sliced

2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced 

4 slices bacon

1/4 cup cider vinegar (white vinegar works too)

2 tablespoons+ granulated sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place lettuce, sliced radishes, green onions and hard-cooked eggs in a bowl.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.
3. Remove bacon and crumble over lettuce. 
   
4. Add vinegar and sugar to the bacon grease, and simmer until sugar is dissolved.
   
5. Taste dressing, and add salt and pepper + more sugar, if desired.
6. Pour hot dressing over lettuce mixture and toss. Serve immediately.
   

For a slightly different variation of this salad, see 
Wilted Lettuce I.

Recipe without photos . . .

Wilted Lettuce with Bacon Vinaigrette  About 4 side dish servings or 2 main dish servings

3 to 4 cups leaf lettuce (or use other varieties that are available) -- if using garden lettuce, wash & rinse several times (I put it in a bowl of cold water for a quick soak, then rinse & spin dry in a salad spinner)

4 to 5 (or more) thinly sliced radishes

2 green onions, sliced

2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced 

4 slices bacon

1/4 cup cider vinegar (white vinegar works too)

2 tablespoons+ granulated sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place lettuce, sliced radishes, green onions and hard-cooked eggs in a bowl.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.
3. Remove bacon and crumble over lettuce. 
4. Add vinegar and sugar to the bacon grease, and simmer until sugar is dissolved.
5. Taste dressing, and add salt and pepper + more sugar, if desired.
6. Pour hot dressing over lettuce mixture and toss. Serve immediately.