Thank you Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups for sponsoring this post sharing my bacon vinaigrette recipe. Enjoy the flavorful, slow-cooked taste of restaurant-quality soup at home, in minutes.
If you stepped outside last week – even just for a second – you know it’s soup weather right now. In Chicago, we were locked inside our houses, which meant everyone was a little stir crazy.
Needless to say, I needed to not stress about dinner when everyone decided they wanted to eat. With everyone home from school, no shock that happened a little more often than normal.
Thankfully, I planned some super easy dinners to take the stress was off me, especially I recovered from the nasty crud going around our area. A hearty potato soup was just what the proverbial doctor ordered.
It’s one of the best ways to warm up, and these Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups are so easy to make, even my kids can help get dinner on the table. Pair them with a quick salad, and you’ll love this delicious, hearty meal.
The Idahoan Steakhouse Soups use real Idaho® potatoes to make a loaded soup with flavorful seasonings and rich cheeses. A loaded soup calls for a loaded salad, and nothing goes better with potato soup than bacon.
That means that instead of a creamy salad dressing or even my usual vinaigrette, I made a bacon vinaigrette with some of the bacon grease I save from our pancake and bacon breakfasts. It’s one of the most delicious and flavorful salad dressings I know – and it takes just a few seconds to make.
In fact, while I boil the water to make my Idahoan Steakhouse Soup, I can get the salad dressing made and salad prepped for the entire dinner. It’s comfort food made easy, and that’s what I need on these long winter days.
How easy? Whisk the soup into the boiling water, then let it simmer for five minutes. That’s it. It tastes like a slow-cooked restaurant quality soup, but I made it in just a few minutes at home.
Until I tried it, I wouldn’t have believed how creamy and hearty this soup becomes in just a few minutes. It’s a delicious thick soup that sticks to you ribs and provides the perfect complement to a simple salad.
It’s cold outside, and once we finally started to warm up just a little bit, the kids headed outside. Instead of asking for hot chocolate to warm themselves up they asked for a bowl of creamy Idahoan Steakhouse Soup to warm up from the inside out. Me? I’m happy to oblige!
My personal favorite is the Loaded Potato Idahoan Steakhouse Soup. They also come in other flavorful varieties like Creamy Potato, Cheddar Broccoli, and Cheddar Potato. Which one will you whip up tonight?
How to Make Bacon Vinaigrette
This bacon vinaigrette is best slightly warm. Make sure you don’t serve it with hot bacon grease, as you don’t want to cook your veggies!
I make a little jar of it and use some immediately. Store the rest in the fridge, and warm it just a little bit and shake it to ensure it stays emulsified. Then add it to your next salad.
I use this dressing over my favorite raw Brussels sprouts salad, but it’s just as delicious over a more traditional salad. Use your favorite lettuce, plus sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots, and add the bacon vinaigrette on top. It tastes best with at least a few flavors and textures, but add the veggies you have on hand, whether it’s cauliflower or mushrooms.
To make the bacon vinaigrette, gently heat the bacon grease just until it melts. I place it directly into a small glass jar, then add the mustard and whisk with a fork.
Once you have the mustard incorporated, add the red wine vinegar and whisk again with a fork until it’s fully emulsified. That’s it. Serve the bacon vinaigrette immediately, and enjoy your new favorite salad dressing.
Have you ever tried a bacon vinaigrette with your potato soup?
Bacon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons bacon grease
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm bacon grease just until melted. Place in small bowl or jar.3 tablespoons bacon grease
- Add mustard and whisk together with fork.1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- Add red wine vinegar, whisking with fork while adding until emulsified. Add pepper to taste.1/4 cup red wine vinegar, pepper
- Serve over salad immediately, or store in fridge up to two weeks. Gently reheat and shake to combine before using.
Notes
- Let the bacon grease cool slightly before adding the vegetables to prevent them from overcooking.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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