This warm spinach salad is perfect for any season. I like to eat this for dinner when I feel like a light supper, but still want to have something satisfying. It has crisp bacon, sweet onions, hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, and tomatoes. I like to use maple flavored bacon for extra sweetness and flavor. The bacon pairs well with the tangy dressing. The warm dressing is flavored with Dijon mustard and reserved drippings from the bacon. Served with fresh bread, this is a satisfying lunch or dinner. To make spinach salad really great, you have to wilt it in the dressing just a little so that the flavors meld together.
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 3 eggs, hard boiled, and sliced
- 1/4 sweet onion, sliced
- ¼-pound maple bacon, chopped and cooked crisp
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, optional
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
- kosher salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Method
- Chop bacon, and cook over medium low heat until crisp, drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
- Hard boil eggs and cool under running cold water.
- Add spinach, eggs, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes to a large stainless steel mixing bowl.
- In another stainless steel bowl, or small saucepan, combine dressing ingredients. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Pour dressing over salad.
- Place large stainless steel bowl over medium low heat and toss the salad till it just barely starts to wilt.
- Serve with fresh bread.
Originally published on SouthernGraceGourmet
