Dandelion Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

This dandelion salad with warm bacon vinaigrette is a seasonal favorite in France, found on many a home table from March through May, and even the occasional restaurant menu. The warm dressing slightly wilts the greens but leaves a delightful crunch. 

In France, dandelions are called pissenlit, literally translating to "wet the bed" due to their diuretic properties. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Unlike many prescription diuretic drugs that deplete the body of potassium, dandelion is naturally rich in potassium and can help replace minerals lost during increased diuresis.” So it's a health food! 

They are a seasonal delicacy, commonly found in open fields, meadows, rustic rural paths and even your own backyard. It’s best to pick them in early spring before the tender leaves and stalks grow tough and bitter. I must confess that, technically, my dandelion salad doesn’t fit this week's Sunday FunDay theme because I did not forage or pick this particular bunch. But I want to point out that it is possible to do that thing!

My backyard in Houston was so dry this spring that the dandelions were not thriving as per usual. The sad “crop” was not enough to feed anyone but I’m hoping for better luck next year. Some years they positively FLOURISH, the bane of any gardener's existence. A boon to all lovers of foraged greens.

If you want to harvest your own, make sure the space is animal free or a no-pee zone. Pinch the greens off around the flowers and wash well before dressing or cooking. Truly what many think of as a weed is actually quite edible and delicious, especially when picked young and tender! 

Dandelion Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

If you can’t find any dandelion greens, chopped arugula, frisée, or mustard greens will also work with the warm bacon vinaigrette. Traditionally, this French salad is served with soft-poached eggs on top but I had a couple already hard boiled in the fridge. They worked well too.

Ingredients to serve 2

1 bunch dandelion greens (mine weighed about 5 oz or 142g)

4 oz or 113g thick-cut bacon, cut in lardons 

1 small shallot, minced

1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 large eggs (soft-poached or boiled)

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Wash and dry the dandelion greens. Trim the ends and discard. 

Cut the greens in half then soak them in cool water for at least 1 hour, changing the water a couple of times. Drain and spin them dry.

Put them in a salad bowl, ready for the dressing. 

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until crispy. 

Tip the pan to the side so you can remove the crispy bits, leaving the fat behind.

Sauté the shallot in the bacon fat until softened. 

Remove the pan from the stove and whisk in the vinegar, mustard and a few good grinds of black pepper.

Pour warm dressing over the greens and toss to lightly wilt.

Top with crispy bacon and the eggs, halved if using hard boiled. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, making sure to get some on the eggs, and freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are walking on the wild side since it’s almost Wild Foods Day which is celebrated on October 28th. Many thanks to our host Camilla of Culinary Cam. Check out the links below.

• Chive Blossom Salt by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Dandelion Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette by Food Lust People Love
• Porcini Risotto by Culinary Cam
• Rosehip Jelly by A Messy Kitchen
• Thel Ghosalyachi Bhaji - Sponge Gourd by Sneha's Recipe
• Wild Mushroom Frittata by A Day in the Life on the Farm

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Edamame Summer Salad

This edamame summer salad boasts pan-roasted edamame and sweet corn tossed together with tomatoes, cucumber, onion and feta, dressed with a garlic lemon vinaigrette. So fresh and tasty! 

 

It’s been a while since Food Network was one of the channels I could watch on my cable tv list but when I was searching online for recipes with edamame, I came across one by Alton Brown on their website.

It sounded simple enough with edamame, corn and tomatoes but, weirdly for a summery salad, it wanted me to turn the oven on to roast the edamame and corn. Really, Alton? I don’t know where he lives but in the southern United States no one, and I mean no one, would turn their oven on to make a summer salad. 

Because we aren’t crazy. And, yes, I know it’s March right now but it was already 80°F (26.6°C) yesterday so I’m still not turning my oven for this. Most unnecessary! 

I did like the idea of roasting the edamame and corn for a little extra flavor and crunch though so a hot skillet seemed the way to go. And I decided to add even more summer vegetable freshness with cucumber. And carrots and jalapeño and feta. 

This is the best kind of salad, the kind you can eat for days and it just gets better. Nothing that wilts! I've had it for lunch the last few days and I'm going to be sad when it's gone. 

Edamame Summer Salad

I give my amounts for the salad ingredients but know that you can add more or less according to your tastes. Love tomatoes, up the amount. Not such a fan of cucumber, put less. Want to add some basil like Alton does? Knock yourself out. It’ll still be good. 

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette dressing:

1/3 cup or 80ml olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

2 spring onions, chopped (white part only, save green for salad)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

2 cups or 280g shelled edamame 

1 cup or 140g fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 cucumber

1/4 purple onion, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups or 210g cherry or grape tomatoes

1 ½ cups or 110g shredded carrots

1 fresh jalapeño - optional

3 ½ oz or 100g feta cheese

Reserved green part of 2 spring onions

Method

Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small jar or container with a lid. Close the lid and shake well.

In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, sauté the edamame, stirring very frequently, until the edamame is scorched a little in spots. 

Transfer it to a plate to cool. 

Repeat with the corn.

Thinly slice the purple onion. 

Put the onion in a large bowl and pour over three-quarters of the vinaigrette. Finely mince the jalapeño, if using, and add it to the dressing bowl. Press the onion and jalapeño down into the dressing to cover. 

Cut the little tomatoes in half.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the watery seeds with a small spoon. Chop the rest. 

Crumble the feta with the tines of a fork and slice the green part of the spring onion into small pieces. 

Add the edamame and corn to the dressing bowl and toss well. 

Add in the tomatoes, cucumber and carrots. 

Taste and see if you need to add the rest of the vinaigrette. If not, store any unused dressing in the refrigerator for another salad. Garlic lemon vinaigrette is lovely on leafy greens. 

Finally, add in the crumbled feta and toss gently to combine. 

You can add the spring onion greens directly to the top in the bowl and serve or transfer the salad to a serving plate and sprinkle them on. 

Refrigerate any leftovers and enjoy them for several days, if they last that long. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 5th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter E. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the E recipes below:

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Corn and Edamame Salad
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Dim Posto - Bengali Egg Curry
• Blogghetti: Easter Candy Charcuterie Board
• Food Lust People Love: Edamame Summer Salad
• Sneha’s Recipe: Eggless Banana Chocolate Cake
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Baked Beef Empanadas
• A Messy Kitchen: Golden Egg Bread
• Culinary Cam: Mayak Gyeran: A Riff on Korean Marinated Eggs
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Souper Easy Quiche
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Whipped Feta Lemon Zest & Basil Deviled Eggs

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

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Chunky Avocado Egg Salad

Scooping the avocado out with a spoon keeps the pieces nice and large for this chunky avocado egg salad made with yogurt, whole-grained mustard and grated shallot. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch or snack time. 

Often, I take an avocado, split it in two, then remove the pit so I can fill the holes with ranch dressing. I eat it with a spoon, scooping out the avocado along with a bit of the dressing in each bite. It’s truly the easiest meal/snack ever. 

But a few weeks ago, we were preparing for a trip so I was emptying the refrigerator and I realized there were a few boiled eggs that needed to be used up as well as a couple of just-right ripe avocados. Avocado egg salad was suddenly on the menu! 

Chunky Avocado Egg Salad

I deliberately made the avocado pieces chunky because as you fold them into the egg mixture, they do sluff off their edges and I wanted to be sure they didn’t mash completely. You want still visible chunks of avocado! I give the weight of my avocado below but know that if yours is a little bigger or smaller, it’ll be fine.

Ingredients

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

3 tablespoons low fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon whole mustard

1 small shallot or 1/4 small onion, peeled (about 3/4 oz or 20g whole)

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus extra for garnish

Several generous grinds black pepper or to taste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 large avocado, pitted (8 2/3 oz or 245g whole)

Method

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. 

In a large mixing bowl, mash the yolks with a fork then stir in the yogurt and mustard till well combined.

Grate in the onion or shallot with the smallest side of your grater. I like to use a microplane.

Stir in the salt and two peppers.

Add the lemon juice to another bowl and then use a spoon to scoop out bites of the avocado into the juice, tossing occasionally to coat as you scoop. 

Chop the egg whites and add them into the large mixing bowl with the avocado. 

Fold until well combined. 

If not serving immediately, cover the avocado egg salad with cling film and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

This is delicious on whole wheat crackers (my favorites are Triscuits!) or sliced bread or toast.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are celebrating National Avocado Month. Since it’s only the first day of February, you have plenty of time to join in! Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the many avocado-full recipe links below.

• Avocado Chicken Salad from A Messy Kitchen
• Avocado Strawberry Salad from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Avocado Toast with Crispy Chickpeas from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Chocolate Avocado Pudding from Making Miracles
• Chunky Avocado Egg Salad from Food Lust People Love
• Crab and Avocado Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Creamy Avocado & Egg Salad- Keto from Sneha's Recipe
• Grilled Tofu Avocado Sandwich from Cook with Renu
• No Cook Avocado Spread from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Pineapple Avocado Salsa from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Spicy Avocado Deviled Eggs from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Winter Citrus & Avocado Salad with Olive Oil and Sea Salt from Our Good Life

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

If you can find the right peaches, this Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing is a ray of sweet and salty summer sunshine all year round. 

I know, I know, it’s not peach season in the northern hemisphere but work with me here. If you aren’t too picky about their provenance, imported peaches can be found year-round in most places. When my mom was living with us on hospice care a couple of years ago, you can bet I bought her favorite fruit whenever the peaches looked good. Cost be damned. 

I am a huge fan of any sweet and salty combination and trust me when I say, blue cheese and peaches go together so nicely! The crunch of the lettuce and the slivers of onion make this one of my favorite salads. Save this salad for summer and peach season where you live, if you must, but do make it. 

Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

I tend to buy Roquefort because we love the deep flavor of sheep’s milk and the extra saltiness of the French cheese, but you can substitute your favorite blue cheese here. This will serve two amply as a side salad, three or four as a starter.

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz or 71g blue cheese 

1/3 cup or 65g mayonnaise

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 small purple onion

2 ripe but firm peaches

1 baby cos or little gem lettuce (or sub romaine hearts, chopped bite-sized)

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Crumble the blue cheese and mix it well with the mayonnaise. Thin the dressing out with the cider vinegar but try to keep some little chunks of blue cheese whole. 

Slice the onion as finely as you can. 

Cut the peaches in half and remove the stone, then cut them up into wedges. 

Lay the baby cos lettuce leaves out on your serving platter. Drizzle on some of the blue cheese dressing. 

Top with about half of the peaches and a good scattering of the onion slices. 

Drizzle on some more blue cheese dressing. 

Top with the remaining peaches and onion slices, then more of the dressing. I held back for the photos but put it all on after because we LOVE blue cheese. Whatever you don’t use can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. 

Finish the salad with a few generous grinds of black pepper. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 2nd edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter B. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the B recipes below:

• Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing from Food Lust People Love
• Bateta Ringad Nu Shaak from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Beef and Noodles from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Beet and Cheese Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocados, Tomatoes and Red Onions from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts from Blogghetti
• Brown Bread Omelette from Sneha’s Recipe
• Brown Sugar Banana Bread from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Creamy Broccoli Soup from A Messy Kitchen
• Small-Batch Blue Cheese Dip with Dried Herbs from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing - this post!

To see the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Baby Cos Peach Salad
with Blue Cheese Dressing!

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