Wilted Lettuce Salad

Last weekend, when I was home visiting my parents, I mentioned to my mom that I'd been to the Memphis Farmers Market earlier in the day and bought some fresh, local romaine and radishes. That made her crave wilted lettuce salad, she said. I had never heard of such a thing!

Mama said it was an old Southern recipe that she grew up eating. You'd take hot bacon grease and pour it over a simple salad of lettuce, radishes, and scallions. The lettuce gets a little soft and wilty, thanks to the hot oil. It sounded weird but good. So I thought I'd veganize it.


For my vegan version, I used olive oil and Liquid Smoke to mimic the bacon grease. I heated a tablespoon of oil in a little skillet for about 3-5 minutes, and then I added a splash of Liquid Smoke and a splash of red wine vinegar (not even enough to measure).

For the salad, I use the fresh romaine and radishes, plus a little chopped green onions and some salt and pepper. After heating the oil, I immediately tossed it with my salad. The result was a light and bacony side dish that put a nice spin on my usual side salad.