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I mean it. This Pineapple, Bacon, Arugula Salad with a Pineapple Champagne Vinaigrette is our family’s new favorite allergy-friendly and gluten-free summer salad.
It is so fresh and is absolutely bursting with flavor. The kids even asked for seconds with this one. Yes. Seconds on Salad. I will repeat just in case you are as shocked as I was.
Yes. The kids asked for seconds on this salad.
I admit to being on a bit of a pineapple kick lately. After all, I just recently shared my Pineapple Avocado Salsa and my Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes. But I cannot help it. Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits and it completely reminds me of summer in so many ways.
I figured if I could find a way to use pineapple in an appetizer, and also use it for a dessert, then why on earth could I not find a way to use it for a salad? So, of course, I did.
Oh, and do not even get me started on the dressing for this. I have been eating it by itself with a spoon. It is just ever-so-slightly addicting, in a totally good way.
So, if you happen to be a fan of this enzyme and anti-oxidant rich fruit that is just bursting with health benefits, then I think I can go out on a limb and safely say you will really like this salad!
Pineapple, Bacon, and Arugula Salad
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup Fresh Pineapple, diced
- 1 Shallot, diced
- 3 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar
- 3/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cracked Pepper
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil (or more to reach desired consistency)
Salad:
- 5 oz Arugula
- 1/2 cup Purple Cabbage, finely diced
- 1/2 cup Red Onion, finely diced
- 1 – 2 cups Fresh Pineapple, diced
- 1 Avocado, diced
- 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Directions:
1. In blender, mix together: Pineapple, Champagne Vinegar, Shallot, Sea Salt and Pepper. While blender is running, slowly add in olive oil until dressing reaches desired consistency. Chill dressing until ready to use. Can be made ahead of time.
2. In salad bowl, add: Arugula, Cabbage, Red Onion, Pineapple, Avocado, and Crumbled Bacon. Toss with just enough dressing to coat greens lightly.
Note: This would be a wonderful main dish salad if you added Shrimp.
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Kim, I love the pineapple dressing – it sounds so sweet and delicious, and what a beautiful colorful salad to go along! I love arugula in salads – will have give this a whirl!
Thanks, Jeanette! I love arugula too. There is just something about the peppery bite that it has. Goes really well with the sweetness of the pineapple!
I love pineapple and bacon together, especially grilled. Have I mentioned (thirty thousand times) that I want to be neighbors so we can share food?
AndreAnna, I am totally convinced we need to build a gluten free self-sustaining compound that we all live on together. We could grow our own food and enjoy it together!
And our kids could all grow up in our perfect little world, protected from any outside cross-contamination, and with like 15 over-protective mother hens! LOL
Not only are the colors of this beautiful, but the flavor combination sounds amazing! I’m loving summer produce now too! I love how vibrant summer foods are. Seriously, this looks amazing!
Thanks so much, Sarena!! I totally love summer produce too! It makes me so excited to walk into my local Whole Foods! So much to choose from at this time of year!
Hmm…have to forgo pineapple for a bit according to some recent blood tests (urrg!), trying to think of something else that might work in place? Maybe mango? A combo of citrus/mango? What do you think?
Tessa, I think that a mango-citrus combo instead of the pineapple would be amazing in this! Let me know if you try it and what you think. If it works well I will add the suggestion with credit to you!
Love that idea!
Got some fresh mangoes at the market yesterday…I’ll let you know how it turn out!
Success! My Manila Mango (or Thai, Champagne, Yellow whatever you’d like to call it!) was just slightly tart rather than sweet, so I left the citrus out, there was enough zing with the vinegar. It looks just like the pineapple variety, and my oh my, it IS delicious! I am enjoying it right now…yum! I also used baby greens instead of arugula b/c it’s what I had on hand. A keeper, for sure…..
Tessa! Sorry I am so late in replying, but I am SO happy that the Manila Mango version worked out so well!! THat is awesome! I am going to make it that way next time since we are big mango fans here!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know!
Oh my gosh, Kim, this is stunning in looks for starters and I’m just imagining all the flavors! And you better believe I’ll be making my version with bacon. I’m thinking that we’ll have to have this for my upcoming girlfriends’ retreat for sure.
Thank goodness you’re experiencing a current pineapple addiction! xoxo,
Shirley
Aww, thanks so much Shirley! And you are so right, the bacon makes it so yummy (I think that it part of the reason the kids liked it so much, especially since I was quite generous in the amount that I used). And if you made it at your girlfriends’ retreat, at least I would be a part of it then.
xoxox
k
I’m not going to lie to you, this combination sounds just plain weird to my taste buds Kim. But if you say it’s good, then it must be!
Leave it to you, Alisa! LOL You can call it weird, but the next time we are together, I am making this for you. Then you can decide what you think! heehee!!
xo
k
I tweeted your recipe.
Thanks for the tweet, Johanna!!
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Kim! I am so trying this. I think my Dad will love it, he’s a big pineapple fan, as am I. I like the combo of ingredients in here. I bet it would be good with tempeh bacon! I love the pic of the dressing, I always use mason jars to store my dressings too! So much easier.
Maggie, I have never tried tempeh bacon. I bet it would be great in this though. And I use my mason jars for EVERYTHING!! I have a huge collection of them and I always find something to do with them! When we went camping recently, I even used them to drink my wine out of! LOL
this mat be the culminatuon of some of my favorite ingredients…. BRILLIANT!!!
Mmm- bacon! I think there is a cookbook called “Everything Is Better With Bacon”! Bacon is one of my guilty pleasures for sure and combined with pineapple and arugula- yes, please!
The colors af your salad are just gorgeous too.
I will be trying this recipe soon!
HI Andrea! My sister has that bacon cookbook! LOL She said it has some crazy ideas in it! Thanks so much for your kind words!!
How yummy! Fresh pineapple is amazing isn’t it and combined with the rest of those ingredients, wow!
HI Intolerant Chef! Thanks so much! I love pineapple. I could eat an entire one by myself!
this sounds heavenly. I can’t wait to eat it. Beautiful pictures.
Thanks Candi Elm! Hope you enjoy the salad!
I just found your site and I love-love-love it! Thank you for such a wonderful resource! I’ll probably be doing a variation of your goat cheese stuffed figs (sans the goat cheese) for a post tomorrow. Thanks again!
xo
Sarahfae – AtV
Hello Sarahfae! Thank you for your kind words about my site! Will have to go check out your stuffed figs post!
Kim this is stunning! Just reading the ingredients made my mouth water. Sounds like a really great combo of flavors and I am in the “everything is better with bacon” camp myself! Can’t wait to try this!
xo,
c
Thanks, Carol! Yup. Bacon makes everything better. And in a house full of boys, I cannot believe how much we go through. LOL
xo
k
Oh my this sounds good! I too adore pineapple.
Thanks, Alta! THe pineapple ads such an awesome flavor to this salad!
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