Breakfast Salad With Maple Balsamic Dressing

Arugula topped with crispy bacon, pan fried potatoes and onions, sharp cheddar cheese, garden cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of maple balsamic vinaigrette.

Can salad be a breakfast food? I think this recipe proves that it can be a breakfast food. This salad is especially perfect for a late breakfast with friends or family! Honestly though, I enjoy it for all meals, breakfast, lunch, or dinner! But if you do decide to have it for breakfast, one thing is certain, you will be way ahead on your vegetable game for the day!

Salad can be a bit boring when you always make the same one. This salad is the opposite of boring! If you have been in a salad rut, then get out of it and make this tasty salad!

You’ll have extra dressing, so if you want to make the salad for more than 4, just up amount of toppings you make. The amount of toppings are pretty unspecific because you know how much bacon you want on your salad, and who am I to tell you to put more or less on… right? If you serve it for company, you can put out all the toppings and let your guests build their own. Also, you can vary the cook on the eggs because some people want runny yolks (me!!!) and other people don’t. You can even poach, boil, or scramble the eggs! I have also made this same salad with different toppings, like avocado or jack cheese instead of cheddar or using sweet potatoes! All I am saying is do not be afraid to mix it up!

Serves 4

Ingredients

Maple Balsamic Dressing

1 clove garlic

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup maple syrup (real!)

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad

4 eggs

1 large potato

½ medium white onion
Butter (or your favorite oil for sautéing in)

Bacon cooked and cut up in pieces (I used a little under a cup of bacon pieces)

Cherry tomatoes or one or two tomatoes cut up

Grated cheddar cheese

Directions for the Balsamic Dressing

Mix crushed garlic, salt, pepper, mustard, and maple syrup into the vinegar. Add the oil and whisk all ingredients together. If you would like, you can even mix it in a jar, put the lid on, and give it a good shake. Dip a leaf of the arugula into the salad dressing to taste it, and adjust it to your personal preference. If you want it a little sweeter and to have a stronger maple flavor, add a bit more maple syrup. The dressing is done, just like that!

For the salad, chop up the potato into small cubes and cook in a skillet in melted butter over medium to medium high heat. Chop up the onion and add it to the potatoes once they have browned on the sides, turning down the heat.  Season with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning blend (I used Slap Ya Mama seasoning which has salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic). Cook until the potatoes are soft and the onions are translucent. Fry the eggs and season the with salt and pepper (or your favorite seasoning).

I like to put a big pile of arugula on each plate, add the dressing and toppings and put the egg on top. And just like that, a tasty salad! It’s great when the potatoes, bacon, and eggs are warm and the arugula wilts a little as you eat it.