Wilted Mixed Greens with Bacon and Eggs

With a recent heat wave that melted us over the summer solstice, our garden greens are growing with a vengeance.

I’m harvesting young lettuce, spinach, baby kale and radishes from my yard, and loving the new chard and arugula from local growers. It’s that time of year when we can barely keep up with the salad greens.

Maybe you’ve got a constant supply from your CSA box or your own garden is prolific. Either way, we could all use some fresh inspiration for serving up leafy greens.

Today’s recipe is a wilted mixed greens salad with a warm bacon vinaigrette. Yes! It also features that delicious flavour combination of spinach + egg + bacon that is such a classic. Read on for the recipe and an introduction to the Jubilee cookbook.

Wilted Mixed Greens with bacon and eggs, spicy new radishes, pickled shallots and sweet cherry tomatoes: this salad has it all. However, it’s impossible to sing the praises of this recipe without mentioning where it originated.

The Jubilee Cookbook

I’ve been reading through and cooking nonstop from the latest cookbook from culinary journalist and community activist Toni Tipton-Martin.

Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking is a recent James Beard Award winner and a favourite tome in the Simple Bites kitchen.

Drawn from Toni’s extensive research and collection (more than 300 volumes!) of African-American cookbooks published over two centuries, Jubilee connects the historical and cultural threads that have formed the fabric of African-American cuisine.

This incredible book is such a rich and powerful addition to my cookbook collection. We are in a moment when the issue of African-American cultural ownership is a very relevant topic. Jubilee steers that conversation through the intimate and engaging form of recipes.

In addition, the book is styled and photographed by the incredible Jerrelle Guy of Black Girl Baking cookbook and the gorgeous Chocolate for Basil blog. With over 100-full colour images, Jubilee is an absolute feast for the eyes.

As soon as you crack the cover of Jubilee you’ll want to get in the kitchen immediately. Naturally I’ve sought out the recipes that are suitable for picnics (we’re kind of obsessed) and I have not been disappointed.

  • Buttermilk Fried Chicken ~ a new family favourite, delicious hot or cold, morning or night.
  • Country-Style Potato Salad ~ makes enough for 10, which is great because it’s the perfect summer pot-luck dish.
  • Buttermilk Biscuits ~ uses both lard and butter for the ultimate flaky biscuit.

All of the above, in addition to today’s wilted mixed greens, have made for some very delicious eating in the Simple Bites kitchen.

Wilted Mixed Greens with Bacon and Eggs

On to the recipe for wilted mixed greens! Definitely make this salad while greens are prolific, not to mention tender and tasty.

For us, it serves as a full meal, especially on hot summer nights, but it would also make an incredible side to Barbecued Cider Ribs or Sage-Scented Barbecued Chicken.

Toni likes to crumble blue cheese on the top, but I find the salad is plenty decadent with the bacon and eggs. Your call!

Wilted Mixed Greens with Bacon and Eggs

A warm spinach salad, tossed with crunchy radishes, crispy bacon, picked shallots and soft boiled egg.
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Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dairy-Free, Gluten-free
Essential Ingredient: spinach
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 167kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds mixed tender greens spinach, chard, arugula, young kale, watercress
  • 4 radishes thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion or pickled shallots
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs quartered
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 2/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Instructions

  • In a large salad bowl, toss together the greens, radishes, red onion, eggs and tomatoes.
  • In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Leaving the rendered bacon fat in the skillet, remove the bacon and cool. Crumble or chop the bacon into bite-size bits.
  • Reheat the bacon fat in the skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Swirl the pan over the heat for 1-2 minutes to concentrate the flavours.
  • Pour the hot dressing over the greens and toss quickly to coat. Sprinkle the greens with the crumbled bacon and blue cheese, if using.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1495IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg

Read an interview with Toni Tipton-Martin on Saveur.

Listen to Toni on the fabulous Salt + Spine Podcast.

Buy the Jubilee cookbook on Amazon.

Reprinted with permission from Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin, copyright © 2019. Photographs by Jerrelle Guy. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links that support the Simple Bites blog.

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