Harvest Salad with Roasted Sweets & Maple Bacon Vinaigrette - Chris Loves Julia

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Harvest Salad with Roasted Sweets & Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

This entree salad is a great transition from Summer to Fall, featuring roasted sweet potatoes, maple-glazed pecans, bacon, and a maple-bacon vinaigrette. It's so, so delicious.

Course Main Course, Salad

Ingredients

10 oz crunchy greens mix
5 oz arugula or spinach or a mix of both
1 1/2 lbs smoked bacon
8-10 cherry tomatoes
2 bunches asparagus tips only - reserve the rest for other uses
1/4 cup shallot thinly sliced
6 oz protein of choice (optional) I used smoked salmon - chicken or grilled pork would be great as well

Roasted sweet potatoes

5 cups large-diced sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp fennel seed ground in a mortar and pestle

Maple-glazed pecans

1 cup pecan halves
2 tsp bacon grease reserved from bacon above
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 leaves sage cut into thin ribbons
1 1/2 tbsp 100% maple syrup

Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

1 tbsp shallot minced
4 tbsp bacon grease
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Render the bacon

First render the bacon by cutting it into 1 inch squares and adding to a small pot on medium low heat. Stir every couple of minutes, slowly drawing out the liquid and cooking it off until the fat renders out and the bacon begins to fry. Once the bacon has darkened, remove into a bowl lined with paper towel to drain. Set the bacon grease aside.

Roast the sweet potatoes

Add a roasting pan to the oven and preheat at 425. In a bowl toss together the roasted sweet potato ingredients. Once the oven comes to temperature let the pan heat for an additional 5 minutes. Add the seasoned sweet potatoes to the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender and browning develops. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Cook the asparagus

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp of salt and stir to dissolve. Add the asparagus and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a strainer and hit with cold water to stop the cooking. Cover with ice and set aside.

Glaze the pecans

In a small sauté pan over medium heat add the pecans, along with the bacon grease. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently to prevent burning. Add the sage and cook for another 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently. Add the maple syrup and toss to coat. Cook for another minute then remove to a baking sheet or some tin foil to cool.

Make the dressing

Make the dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Adjust salt, pepper, vinegar, and syrup levels to taste.

Assemble the salad

In a large bowl add the greens, topped with the bacon, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, thin-sliced shallots, roasted sweet potatoes, glazed pecans, and additional protein of choice (if desired). Top with as much of the vinaigrette as desired and toss to coat evenly. Enjoy at room temperature.