Description
Classic Spinach Salad with warm bacon dressing showcases fresh ingredients from Southern kitchens. Sharp bacon flavor and crisp spinach leaves create a memorable side dish for home cooks seeking simple, delicious meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 oz (283 g) baby spinach leaves
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 10 oz (283 g) Swiss cheese
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup toasted almond slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup honey
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Salad Composition: Layer baby spinach in a large serving bowl, creating a verdant foundation for the vibrant dish.
- Ingredient Layering: Strategically distribute hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, bacon pieces, Swiss cheese, and toasted almonds across the spinach landscape, ensuring a balanced and visually appealing arrangement.
- Dressing Preparation: Activate a skillet over medium heat, introducing olive oil to sauté minced shallots and garlic until they become translucent and aromatic, approximately two minutes.
- Flavor Infusion: Pour white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and crumbled bacon into the skillet, whisking to create a harmonious blend. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to elevate the dressing’s complexity.
- Dressing Refinement: Allow the mixture to simmer, encouraging the ingredients to meld and intensify, creating a glossy, well-integrated sauce with deep, layered flavors.
- Final Assembly: Drizzle the piping hot dressing over the prepared salad, gently tossing to ensure each spinach leaf and accompanying ingredient is luxuriously coated, creating a cohesive and appetizing dish.
Notes
- Bacon Brilliance: Select high-quality bacon for maximum flavor depth and crispy texture.
- Temperature Timing: Serve dressing immediately after preparing to maintain its rich, warm essence and prevent cooling.
- Vinegar Variation: White wine vinegar provides tangy brightness, but feel free to experiment with apple cider or champagne vinegar for subtle flavor shifts.
- Texture Tactics: Toast almonds just before adding to preserve crunchiness and enhance their nutty undertones.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 185 mg