February Salad

Molly from Orangette and Kickpleat from Everybody likes sandwiches both called february a soup month and I couldn't agree more. When the weather is nasty as it was here until recently, cold and rainy, there is nothing like a bowl of hot and tasty soup to restore your spirits. And still, once in a while, I crave salad - crispy leaves, herbs, a tangy vinaigrette - there is something refreshing about it and despite the chilly temperatures, I need refreshment every now and then. The thing is, though, winter isn't the best time for leafy salads in my part of the world. The one salad you can buy in abundance though is chicory, a robust salad which needs a bit of spicing up as far as I am concerned as it can be a little boring on its own. I adapted the classic spinach salad with bacon and avocado to it and it went down a treat with the Boyfriend and me.

February Salad: chicory with bacon and avcado

• two large handfulls of chicory leaves
• 1 small handfull of diced bacon
• 1 avocado
• a little lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• mustard
• chives

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. Peel the avocado, remove the stone, halve and cut into slices. Drizzle with the lemon juice. Mix the salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Cut the chicory into fine slices and pour the vinaigrette over. Add half of the avocado, half of the bacon and the finely chopped chives and mix thoroughly. Divide between two plates and arrange the rest of the bacon and the avocado on top.