Wilted Lettuce Salad

When salad seems just a little boring, do something unexpected and prepare this wilted lettuce recipe. The key to this dish is the warm dressing, which is poured over the lettuce leaves to slightly wilt them.

Wilted lettuce salad likely originated in Europe, where some form of the recipe has been enjoyed for centuries. It’s a wonderful fall or winter recipe, when crunchy, cold salads just don’t make sense. Enjoy this salad as-is, or check out the recipe variations for all the ways you can switch it up.

Ingredients for Wilted Lettuce Salad

• Bacon: Crispy bacon provides a great textural contrast in this wilted lettuce recipe. Regular bacon, smoked bacon or even pancetta work well here.
• White vinegar: When it comes to white vinegar, a little goes a long way. If you’d prefer, you can substitute it for either red or white wine vinegar.
• Green onions: Many wilted lettuce salad recipes use red or white onion but we like the milder flavor of green onions in this wilted lettuce salad recipe.
• Sugar: A touch of sugar helps to balance the salad’s savory and pungent flavors. Feel free to use granulated white sugar or honey.
• Leaf lettuce: Spring mix or romaine are both great, but you can choose any greens you’d like—for example, radicchio, frisee or baby kale.
• Hard-boiled egg: Traditionally, wilted lettuce salad includes hard-boiled eggs, but a jammy soft-boiled egg plays well here, too.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the bacon

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In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it’s crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Step 2: Make the dressing

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To the hot drippings, add the vinegar, water, onions, sugar, salt and pepper, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 3: Toss the salad

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Place the lettuce in a salad bowl. Immediately pour the warm dressing over top and toss the salad lightly. Top the wilted lettuce salad with egg and bacon. Serve it immediately.

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Wilted Lettuce Salad Variations

• Add more toppings: Although this is recipe for wilted lettuce salad is on the simpler side, you can jazz it up with extra toppings. For example, you can toss in roasted or candied nuts, marinated mushrooms, baked salmon or a hearty grain like farro.
• Opt for a different dressing: Instead of the bacon drippings, vinegar and sugar this recipe uses, you can try a different salad dressing. Whichever you choose, we recommend one that’s slightly sweet to help balance and round out this salad’s flavors. For a similar wilted lettuce effect, you may want to warm the dressing before adding it to the salad.

How to Store Wilted Lettuce Salad

To store this wilted lettuce recipe, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to four days. The good thing about this dish is that the lettuce leaves are purposefully wilted, so you don’t have to worry about its texture declining.

Can you make wilted lettuce salad ahead of time?

While it’s not recommended to make this salad ahead of time, you can prepare everything and combine the salad with warm dressing just before serving. To make wilted lettuce salad in advance, follow the recipe through Step 2, then let the dressing cool and store it in the refrigerator for up to four days. When you’re ready to eat, warm the dressing in the microwave or on the stovetop, then pour it over the lettuce. Serve the salad with the premade bacon and premade hard-boiled eggs.

Wilted Lettuce Salad Tips

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Can you microwave lettuce?

Yes, it won’t harm the salad or your appliance if you reheat wilted lettuce salad in the microwave. However, do watch it carefully and pause it frequently to check on how it’s doing. Lettuce that’s microwaved for too long can become soft, and ingredients like bacon grease can burn if overheated.

What is leftover bacon grease good for?

With its concentrated meaty flavor, leftover bacon grease is like cooking gold. You can use it to fry eggs, whip it into cowboy butter, add it to refried beans or saute vegetables with it. That said, if for any reason you want to toss it, don’t pour it down the drain. Let it cool, then scrape it into the trash. If you’ve baked your bacon on parchment paper, simply transfer the paper and hardened bacon grease to the trash.

What is the secret to boiling eggs?

While the most important part of boiling the perfect egg comes down to the amount of boiling time, there are a few more tips and tricks to know—like using an ice bath to cool the eggs and other ways to cook an egg in its shell. Demystify all the age-old questions once and for all by checking out our guide on how to hard boil eggs.