Red Lettuce Salad with Pears, Bacon, Feta, Almonds & Onion Vinaigrette

Heat a skillet and toss a handful of almonds on and toast lightly. Remove and set aside for the salad. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in the skillet. Chiffonade some yellow onion, about 2 tbsp. Chop very fine. Saute in the oil and remove when the begin to caramelize. Reserve in a bowl for the vinaigrette. Add 2 slices of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it into small pieces.

Wash and cut a pear into quarters and slice very thinly. I use a mandoline and fan around the outside of your salad plate/platter. Wash and chop up some lettuce and spread over the pears. I used red lettuce for more color and a more tender texture than romaine. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP of feta. roasted almonds and the crumbled bacon.

In a bowl, mix 2 TBSP of olive oil with 1 TSBP of balsamic vinegar and 1 TBSP of white vinegar and 1 TBSP of white wine. Add salt and pepper and the reserved onions. Since they absorbed some oil, you may want to add a bit of balsamic to balance them, or not, depending on your own preference. Pour the dressing over the salad.

This salad has so many layers of flavor – with the bacon and feta an pear making such a perfect mouthful mixed with the lettuce and dressing.