Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Spinach salad with hot bacon dressing with sliced mushrooms, red onion, and crispy bacon is a hearty salad that's perfect for both weeknights, and gatherings!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 12 ounces baby spinach
- 12 ounces white or cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 small red onion sliced
For the dressing
- 5 tablespoons bacon fat from the cooked bacon above
- 1 large shallot minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano grated
Instructions
For the salad
- Cook the bacon in a large nonstick pan over medium heat until crisp (about 10 minutes) then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 5 tablespoons of bacon fat for the dressing.
- Place the spinach, mushrooms, and red onion into a large salad bowl.
For the dressing
- In the same pan as used for the bacon heat the reserved bacon fat and the extra virgin olive oil to medium-low and cook the shallots until soft (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add the mustard, honey, vinegar, and cheese to the pan and whisk together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat down to low but keep the dressing warm.
- Sprinkle half of the bacon and pour half of the dressing onto the salad and toss well. Add a bit more dressing if needed but don't overdress it. Serve the remaining dressing on the side and top each plate with the remaining bacon. Enjoy!
Notes
- If making the dressing in advance, make sure to heat the dressing up right before serving.
- This salad should be eaten right away, but if making it in advance, save the dressing in a separate container and heat it up right before dressing the salad and serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.1g | Protein: 18.8g | Fat: 25.3g | Saturated Fat: 6.9g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 954mg | Potassium: 763mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 8.2g | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 4mg