Classic Spinach Salad Recipe

Cook eggs

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover, remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Drain, cool under cold running water, peel, and halve or quarter lengthwise. Set aside.

Cook bacon

In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon strips until crisp, about 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings for the vinaigrette. Once cool, chop bacon into 1/2-inch pieces.

Prepare mushrooms and onion

Trim stems from mushrooms and slice them about 1/4-inch thick. Peel and thinly slice the red onion into half-moons. Optionally soak the onion in cold water for 5 minutes to mellow sharpness and drain.

Assemble greens

Place 8 cups of baby spinach in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter. Scatter sliced mushrooms, sliced red onion, chopped bacon and halved eggs evenly over the spinach. Season lightly with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush each lightly with olive oil. Top each slice with a generous pinch of grated cheddar and a couple thin slices of chile. Bake until cheese is melted and edges are golden, about 6–8 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. If desired, broil 1 minute for extra color but watch carefully to avoid burning.

While bacon is cooking (or immediately after), prepare the vinaigrette. In the same skillet with reserved warm bacon drippings over low heat, add the finely minced shallot and gently cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Add apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard, stirring to deglaze the pan and dissolve mustard. Remove from heat and whisk in the olive oil, maple syrup (or honey), 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper until emulsified. Keep the vinaigrette warm.

Taste and adjust seasoning—add a little more vinegar for brightness or a pinch of salt if needed.

Just before serving, drizzle the warm bacon vinaigrette over the assembled spinach, mushrooms, onions, bacon and eggs. Toss gently to combine, taking care not to break the eggs too much.

Arrange chile-cheddar crostini alongside or top a few slices on the salad for crunch. Serve immediately while vinaigrette is warm and crostini are crisp.