Crispy Tossed Salad

This recipe is one of our family's favorites.  It is light, flavorful, and perfect for company.  I like to get the chopping and toasting done ahead of time so that I can throw everything together just before serving.  

This salad can easily serve 4-6 as a side dish, but Koko and I love it so much that we can split it between ourselves!

Crispy Tossed Salad

Dressing:

2 Tbs. rice vinegar (or white vinegar)

2 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Salad:

1/2 bag broccoli slaw

1 head iceberg lettuce, sliced

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or 1/3 cup pieces)

4 green onions, sliced

chow mein noodles (we like rice noodles, which are like           chow mein, only crispier!)

In a glass measuring cup or a small glass bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt.  Microwave for 20-30 seconds; whisk.  (The goal in heating the vinegar is to dissolve the sugar and salt as much as possible when whisking.  This is not necessary, but it results in a much smoother dressing).  Add oil and pepper; whisk again to combine.  Chill.   (I usually toast the almonds and seeds to give the dressing time to set up.  It doesn't have to be cold - just cool.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine slaw and lettuce.  Just before serving, top with seeds, almonds, bacon, onions, and dressing (whisk dressing again just before adding).  Toss to combine, and serve immediately topped with rice or chow mein noodles.

Just as a warning, this salad DOES NOT keep well overnight unless you serve/store the dressing separately.  If you refrigerate the dressed leftovers, you will end up with a watery, undesirable mess.  Thankfully, it is so good that there is ALWAYS a willing volunteer to finish it off right away!