Spinach Salad Recipe
Fresh spinach with mushrooms, hard boiled egg, and warm bacon vinaigrette
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Ingredients
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Salad
Bacon Vinaigrette & Topping
Method
Salad
- 1
Prep spinach and vegetables
Rinse the baby spinach thoroughly and spin or pat dry. Trim and wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel; slice them 1/4-inch thick. Peel the red onion and slice very thinly into half-moons. Place spinach, sliced mushrooms, and onion in a large salad bowl and refrigerate until ready to dress.
- 2
Hard-boil eggs
Place 4 eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 9 minutes for firm yolks. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel. Cut each egg into quarters and set aside chilled or at room temperature.
Bacon Vinaigrette & Topping
- 3
Cook bacon
Cut bacon crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 8–10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crisp bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the skillet (about 2–3 tablespoons). Reserve the bacon pieces for the salad.
- 4
Make warm bacon vinaigrette
With the skillet still over medium-low heat and about 2–3 tablespoons bacon fat remaining, add the minced garlic and cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Remove skillet from heat briefly and whisk in apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup (or honey), and granulated sugar until combined. Slowly whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness as needed. The vinaigrette should be warm but not hot; if it's very hot, let it cool 1–2 minutes before pouring over the greens.
- 5
Assemble salad
Pour the warm bacon vinaigrette over the spinach, mushrooms, and sliced onion in the large bowl. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat the leaves with the warm dressing, which will slightly wilt the spinach. Scatter the reserved crisp bacon pieces over the top, then arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs evenly over the salad. Grind an extra crack of black pepper over the finished salad and serve immediately.