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Recipe and photo courtesy of Cara Eisenpress of Big Girls, Small Kitchen

Bacon, Quinoa Salad & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

yields 2-4 Servings - level Easy
prep time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 head green leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ cup cooked quinoa
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 small head fennel, trimmed and cored, then cut paper thin on a mandoline
  • 1 Fuji apple, peeled and cored, then cut paper thin on a mandoline
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and cut paper thin on a mandoline
  • ½ cup slivered California Almonds, toasted
  • Half a California Avocado, pit removed, cut into cubes

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ¾ cup California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small clove garlic, grated on a microplane
  • ½ teaspoon honey
  • Sea salt

Instructions

  1. Have all the salad ingredients ready to go. Then, in the salad bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil, whisking as you go, so that the dressing emulsifies. When all the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
    is in, add the grated garlic, honey, and a good pinch of salt. Whisk again, then try the dressing on a lettuce leaf, tasting for balance of flavors and salt. Add more salt, honey, or lemon juice to your taste. Pour about half of the dressing into a jar and set aside.
  2. Now add the lettuce, quinoa, bacon, fennel, apple, carrot, almonds, and avocado. Gently toss with the dressing in the bowl. Taste, again adding more salt if you’d like, and drizzling on any of the reserved dressing. (If you don’t need any more dressing, save it for tomorrow’s salad!) Eat immediately.