Arugula salad with peppered bacon, balsamic vinaigrette and goat cheese croutons
Filed under: Dinner, Entertaining, In a hurry, Lunch, Side dish, Smart choice
preparation time
Cooking time
Arugula salad with peppered bacon and goat cheese croutons is like your everyday salad underwent a total transformation! Get ready to share the recipe with all your colleagues; no one can resist this made-over marvel.
ingredients
- 375 g Olymel maple flavoured bacon
- 6 cups arugula lettuce
- ½ roasted red pepper, julienned
- ½ baguette cut into 12 slices
- 30 ml olive oil
- 350 g goat cheese
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 shallot chopped fine
- 15 ml (1 tbsp.) Dijon mustard
- 45 ml (3 tbsp.) balsamic vinegar
- 125 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
instructions
Vinaigrette
- In a large bowl, combine shallot with mustard, slowly whisk in olive oil followed by the vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Peppered bacon
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (205 °C)
- Combine brown sugar and pepper. Lay out bacon strips on a baking sheet. Sprinkle pepper/sugar mix evenly over the bacon strips and bake until crisp. Place strips on absorbent paper to drain, chill, then chop into large pieces.
Goat cheese croutons
- Brush olive oil onto baguette slices. Bake 4 minutes then remove from oven.
- Spread cheese evenly over the croutons. Bake until cheese is hot taking care not to burn croutons.
Salad
- In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, peppers and the vinaigrette to taste.
- Serve on salad plates topped with peppered bacon and accompanied by three warm chevron croutons for each plate. Serve immediately.
