Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Balsamic-Fig Dressing

Mix the tangy-sweet dressing up to three days ahead, and refrigerate.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 3  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 3  dried Black Mission figs, chopped
• 3  tablespoons  water
• 2  tablespoons  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  honey
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced shallots
• 1/4  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 
  Salad:
• 8  cups  trimmed arugula (about 4 ounces)
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 3  center-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• 2  tablespoons  crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. To prepare dressing, combine balsamic vinegar and figs in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Combine vinegar mixture, 3 tablespoons water, and next 5 ingredients (through thyme) in a blender; process until smooth.

2. To prepare salad, place 1 1/3 cups arugula on each of 6 plates. Divide onion evenly among plates. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons dressing over each serving; sprinkle evenly with pepper and salt. Sprinkle evenly with bacon. Top each serving with 1 teaspoon goat cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

91 (45% from fat)

Fat:

4.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

3g

Carbohydrate:

10.9g

Fiber:

1.7g

Cholesterol:

5mg

Iron:

0.9mg

Sodium:

147mg

Calcium:

88mg