I have fond memories of eating spinach salad with bacon dressing back in my college dining hall. It was delicious, and I would always find myself going back for seconds, which was rare at the time for me because it was salad. Now 6 years later, I finally decided to try to recreate it since we had some spinach in the fridge that I needed to use up. Andrew was skeptical when I told him I was making this for a weekend dinner, but even he admitted this was great salad. It's salad for people who don't like salad.
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing and Soft-Boiled Eggs
(Recipe from Once Upon a Chef and Budget Bytes)
- 4 large eggs
- 8 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1-2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Heaping 1/4 tsp salt
- Several grinds fresh black pepper
- 6 oz (8 cups baby spinach)
- 1 cup thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
- Add 1 inch of water to a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add eggs in a single layer. Replace the lid and continue to boil for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pot and either transfer to an ice water bath or run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel and set aside.
- Fry bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until crisp.
- While the bacon cooks, start the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate and set aside. Pour the bacon fat into a bowl, then return 4 tbsp of fat to the skillet. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the bacon fat and shallots from the skillet to the vinegar mixture and whisk to combine. Add the spinach and mushrooms and toss to coat evenly. Season to taste.
- Divide the salad between 4 plates or bowls and top with bacon and a soft-boiled egg. Serve.
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