🥓 Vintage Wilted Lettuce – A Warm Bacon Salad Classic

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A nostalgic, savory-sweet salad featuring crisp lettuce “wilted” with hot bacon dressing—this one’s straight from Grandma’s recipe box!

✨ Short Description

Vintage Wilted Lettuce is a warm salad made with garden-fresh lettuce and green onions, tossed with a sizzling bacon-vinegar dressing that slightly wilts the greens. It’s a Southern staple that’s big on flavor, comfort, and rustic charm.

🥄 Table of Contents

  1. Look at the Recipe

  2. Ingredients Needed

  3. How to Make Our Wilted Lettuce

  4. Storage & Serving Suggestions

  5. Tips & FAQs

  6. Nutritional Info

  7. Author Note

  8. More Vintage-Inspired Recipes

  9. Call to Action

🌟 Look at the Recipe

If you grew up in the South like I did, chances are this wilted lettuce salad was a Sunday dinner regular. The magic happens when you pour the hot, tangy-sweet bacon dressing over tender lettuce—it softens just enough to be called “wilted” but still keeps that fresh crunch. It’s old-school comfort, and still W-W adaptable with a few tweaks!

đź›’ Ingredients Needed

Salad Base

  • 1½ quarts shredded lettuce (leaf or romaine works best)

  • 3–4 green onions, chopped

  • Salt & black pepper, to taste

Warm Dressing

  • 2 tbsp melted bacon drippings (or olive oil for a lighter version)

  • 2 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or white)

  • 1 tbsp sugar (or sugar substitute like monk fruit)

Optional Garnish

  • Crumbled crispy bacon

👩‍🍳 How to Make Our Wilted Lettuce

  1. Prep Your Lettuce
    In a large serving bowl, combine shredded lettuce and green onions. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

  2. Heat the Dressing
    In a small saucepan, heat the bacon drippings, vinegar, and sugar until it reaches a gentle boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

  3. Wilt & Toss
    Pour the hot dressing over the lettuce mixture. Toss quickly and thoroughly to ensure the greens are evenly coated and lightly wilted.

  4. Finish & Serve
    Garnish with crumbled bacon if desired. Serve warm for the full vintage experience!

🧊 Storage & Serving Suggestions

  • Serve immediately: This salad is best enjoyed right after dressing while it’s warm and the lettuce is lightly wilted.

  • No leftovers: It doesn’t keep well once dressed, so only dress what you plan to eat.

  • Spinach substitute: Swap lettuce with spinach for an even more classic feel—great if you love Southern wilted spinach salads!

âť“ Tips & FAQs

Can I use olive oil instead of bacon grease?
Yes! Use 2 tablespoons olive oil and add a pinch of smoked paprika for that bacon flavor.

What vinegar is best?
Apple cider vinegar gives it that old-fashioned tang, but white or red wine vinegar also work.

Is this W-W friendly?
Absolutely, with smart substitutions:

  • Use olive oil or light bacon drippings

  • Swap sugar for monk fruit or another zero-calorie sweetener

  • Go light on the garnish or use turkey bacon

🔍 Nutritional Info (Per Serving)

Based on 4 servings with light substitutions:

  • Calories: 110 kcal

  • W-W Points: ~2 (with olive oil, no bacon garnish)

  • Fat: 7g

  • Protein: 1g

  • Carbs: 3g

  • Fiber: 1g

đź’¬ Author Note

This wilted lettuce salad always takes me back to childhood family dinners. We’d pick lettuce straight from the garden, and the bacon sizzle on the stovetop was a dinnertime soundtrack. I love recreating it with a W-W twist—same great taste, a little lighter for today’s lifestyle.

🥗 More Vintage-Inspired Recipes

  • Lightened-Up Deviled Eggs

  • W-W Macaroni Salad

  • Old-Fashioned Chicken & Rice Bake

  • Classic Southern Green Beans with Turkey Bacon

đź“Ł Call to Action

Did you grow up with wilted lettuce too? Try my updated version and let me know what memories it brings back! Tag @KristyCookRecipes on IG or leave a comment below. 🥬❤️

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