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Baby Kale, Apple & Bacon Salad with Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette & Toasted Hazelnuts

  • karistabennett
  • 2 minutes ago
  • 2 min read

Fresh salad with apple slices, nuts, bacon, and cheese on a white plate. Rustic wooden table background with a striped napkin.
Crisp baby kale, fresh apple slices, and savory bacon come together in a vibrant salad, topped with a creamy bleu cheese vinaigrette and toasted hazelnuts.

My seasonal shift from winter to spring arrived sooner than expected. Perhaps it was that little whisper of warmth last weekend or the slow return of evening light, but suddenly I find myself dreaming of salads again. Bright, fresh, alive with flavor… like spring itself on a plate.


So this morning, as I was doing a bit of writing, with Gus under my desk waiting patiently for his morning walk, thoughts of dinner popped into my head. Yes, this happens often for me. Then I remembered this lovely salad, and well, I'm posting it here for you today. It's a lovely Baby Kale and Apple Salad with Bacon, Toasted Hazelnuts and a perfectly sweet and savory Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette.

Baby Kale, Apple & Bacon Salad with Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette and Toasted Hazelnuts


Ingredients

  • 5-6 ounces baby kale (usually one bag from Trader Joe’s)

  • 1-2 sweet apples, cored and sliced

  • 8 ounces bacon, cooked and diced

  • 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and lightly chopped

  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 3-4 tablespoons champagne vinegar, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • ½ cup good quality crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces) I use Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue

  • 1-2 tablespoons cold water

  • Salt and pepper to taste


Directions


  1. In a 16-ounce jelly jar with a lid, add the olive oil, vinegar, honey and garlic. Shake until all the ingredients are combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


  2. Then add the blue cheese and one tablespoon cold water to the jar and shake a few more times until the blue cheese is slightly combined with the dressing.


  3. Next, toss the baby kale with just enough dressing to coat all the leaves but not weigh them down. Just a light coating.


  4. Plate the baby kale on four plates and top with apple slices, bacon and hazelnuts. Serve immediately with the remaining dressing.

 


 
 
 

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