This delicious summer salad recipe is filled with fresh ingredients, and is the perfect combination of naughty and nice. Pairing a bit of savoury with sweet, juicy with crunchy, and healthy with flavoursome, this salad can be enjoyed as a meal on its own or as a side salad – although it may steal the show! It also happens to be incredibly easy to make, ranking it up there with our favourite mid-week family meals. With a generous amount of strawberries, candied pecan nuts and crispy bacon bits, this salad hits all the right spots!

Strawberries, candied pecan nuts and crispy bacon | A Summer Salad Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 x medium avocado
250g strawberries
250g streaky bacon
100g mixed salad leaves (watercress, spinach, rocket)
50g feta cheese
200g raw pecan nuts
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter

Method for Candied Pecan Nuts

1. Melt butter in a frying pan on medium to high heat.
2. Add raw pecan nuts to the pan and, using a spoon, mix the pecan nuts in with the butter – coating them.
3. Drizzle the brown sugar over the butter coated pecan nuts in the pan and stir until caramelized.
4. Remove from the pan when the sugar mixture turns light brown and becomes sticky.
5. Transfer the coated pecan nuts to a flat surface covered in wax paper and leave to cool.

Serving your Salad

1. Fry bacon on medium to high heat in a non-stick pan until nice and crispy. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towel.
2. Slice strawberries into quarters.
3. Add mixed leaves and sliced strawberries into a large salad bowl.
4. Break apart the crispy bacon and add to the salad mix.
5. Break candied pecan nuts over the salad mix and toss everything together with salad servers.
6. Portion the salad into bowls.
7. Break feta cheese over the top of the salad and layer with slices of avo.
8. Lastly, drizzle each portion with a generous amount of balsamic reduction and serve!