Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Why you’ll love it

• Ready in 30 minutes with one skillet and one big bowl.
• Warm and fresh at the same time: crisp-tender spinach with a smoky, tangy dressing.
• A side dish with protein: bacon and eggs make it hearty, about 14 g of protein per serving.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the salad

• 10 oz (285 g) fresh baby spinach, or flat-leaf spinach with the thick stems removed
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup (70 g) sliced white or cremini mushrooms
• 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced

For the warm bacon dressing

• 6 slices thick-cut bacon (about 8 oz / 225 g), cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
• 1 small shallot, finely minced (about 2 tbsp)
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Olive oil, only if needed to make 1/4 cup (60 ml) of fat

Step-by-step method

1. Cook the eggs. Place the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch (2.5 cm) and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand 11 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then peel and cut each one into quarters or slices.

2. Prep the greens. While the eggs cook, wash and dry the spinach very well (a salad spinner is ideal; wet leaves water down the dressing). Put the spinach in a large heatproof bowl with the mushrooms and red onion.

3. Crisp the bacon. Put the bacon in a cold large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

4. Measure the drippings. Pour the drippings into a heatproof measuring cup. You need 1/4 cup (60 ml); pour off any extra or add olive oil to make up the difference. Return the fat to the skillet.

5. Make the dressing. Over medium-low heat, cook the shallot in the fat for 1 minute, until softened. Off the heat, whisk in the vinegar (it will sizzle), brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Return to low heat and whisk 30 seconds, until the sugar dissolves and the dressing is hot.

6. Wilt the spinach. Immediately pour the hot dressing over the spinach and toss with tongs for about 30 seconds, until the leaves are coated and just starting to wilt.

7. Top and serve. Add half of the bacon and toss again. Divide among plates or transfer to a platter, top with the eggs and the rest of the bacon, season with a little more pepper and serve right away.

How to know it is done

The bacon is ready when it is deep golden brown and crisp, with no soft white fat left. The dressing is done when the sugar has completely dissolved and it smells tangy and smoky. The salad is perfect when the spinach leaves look glossy and have softened just a little at the edges but still have some body. If the whole bowl looks dark green and limp, the dressing was too hot or it was tossed too long.

Tips for the best result

• Dry the spinach completely; any water left on the leaves makes the dressing slide off.
• Start the bacon in a cold skillet so the fat renders slowly and the pieces get evenly crisp.
• Toss and serve the salad right away; it is meant to be eaten warm, within a few minutes.
• Use a large metal or glass bowl so it can handle the hot dressing.

Variations and substitutions

• Maple version: replace the brown sugar with 1 tbsp pure maple syrup.
• Fall crunch: add 1/4 cup (30 g) toasted pecans and a thinly sliced apple.
• Cheese lover’s: sprinkle 1/4 cup (30 g) crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese on top.
• Turkey bacon: use 6 slices turkey bacon and make the dressing with 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil.
• Heartier greens: mix half spinach and half chopped frisée or dandelion greens, as in the old Pennsylvania Dutch version.

Make ahead

The salad has to be dressed right before serving, but you can prepare almost everything ahead. Cook and peel the eggs up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate them. Wash and dry the spinach and slice the mushrooms and onion up to 1 day ahead; keep them in a container lined with paper towels in the refrigerator. You can also cook the bacon earlier in the day: refrigerate the bacon and the drippings separately, then rewarm the drippings in the skillet and make the dressing just before serving.

Storage and reheating

Once dressed, the salad does not keep well and is best eaten right away; leftovers will be soft but can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 day and eaten cold. Undressed spinach keeps 3 days in the refrigerator. Extra dressing can be refrigerated in a jar for up to 5 days; it will solidify, so warm it in a small skillet over low heat, whisking, until liquid again. Do not reheat the dressed salad.