A recipe that works for vegans (ingredients 1-4 + balsamic only), vegetarians (add ingredient 5) and carnivores (add ingredient 6) with a little addition and subtraction.
How to: Autumn Chopped Salad
You will need:1. Heat skillet (I generally don't add oil to the pan first - the bacon releases enough grease). Lay bacon in skillet in a single layer and cook on one side until strips start to curl up. Flip slices over and cook until they're as crispy as you like. Lay cooked pieces on a paper towel to drain fat. Repeat with remaining bacon (pour off fat inbetween batches). Rough chop once cooled.
6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 medium pears, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
Poppy seed Salad Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette
2. In a large bowl combine lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese (omit bacon for vegetarians / omit bacon and feta for vegans).
3. Drizzle generously with 70% poppy seed dressing followed by 30% balsamic vinaigrette (omit poppy dressing for vegans).
Enjoy!
Photo and recipe: espresso and cream