Recipe Box, Spinach & Kale Salad with Broccoli Croutons

the Painted Apron

8 years ago

After a weekend of feasting, we were ready for a vegetable filled salad, and this really hit the spot

I took a few short cuts which made this easy peasy to throw together

It starts off with fresh spinach and a bag of Kale salad with Brussels sprouts

I’m not a big fan of bag salads, but this one is an exception. The dressing it comes with is light and delicious but for this dinner salad I wanted something a little more exciting

After cooking some bacon slices, I added this prepared Honey Mustard Vinaigrette to the skillet to warm with a scant amount of the bacon grease

If you have Cindy’s Kitchen salad dressings available in your area, I highly recommend them. My favorites are the Real Bleu Cheese, Buttermilk Ranch, Honey Mustard Dijon, and Wild Maine Blueberry Vinaigrette. Look for them in the refrigerated salad dressing section of Whole Foods and Fresh Market, or search for stores by zip code here

I heated the dressing and added some leftover cooked asparagus spears to warm

While preparing the salad and dressing I put broccoli in the oven to roast for Broccoli Candy, another layer of flavor and texture for this spring vegetable salad

Place the bacon on salad and top with the warm vinaigrette with asparagus

Add broccoli croutons and toss gently

Serve immediately

Omit bacon or substitute leftover ham or chicken if desired

Spinach & Kale Salad with Broccoli Croutons

This tasty salad is dressed with a bacon dressing made with prepared honey mustard

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword broccoli salad, kale salad, lo-carb meal, main dish salad, rainbow vegetable salad, roasted vegetable salad

Prep Time 20

Ingredients

fresh spinach leaves torn into bite size pieces
Kale salad in a bag {Taylor Farms} or massaged fresh kale leaves and shaved fresh Brussels sprouts
broccoli flowerets
cooked asparagus or green beans
Parmesan cheese 1 +oz per serving
2 + cloves garlic minced, {use more if serving a lot}
olive oil
salt & pepper
prepared honey dijon mustard
1-2 bacon slices per serving optional, or substitute ham, chicken or turkey

Instructions

Put broccoli on a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Sprinkle with garlic and Parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss around to coat. Spread out in an even layer and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done. Immediately sprinkle with more Parmesan.
Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and sauté until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 T grease from pan. Add vinaigrette and heat to warm. Add asparagus and/or green beans to dressing to warm.
Place spinach in a bowl with kale mix. Top with cooked bacon, asparagus, and dressing. Add broccoli and toss gently. Serve immediately

This is my new favorite salad 😋