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| A Very Good Spinach Salad |
I eat this as a meal in itself, but for all you hearty eaters enjoy it as a side. Spinach can stand up to a very heavy and flavourful dressing. This is one of my favourites!
**A Very Good Spinach Salad**
4 slices lean smokey bacon
8 cups baby spinach
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 oz Asiago cheese
2 hard cooked eggs, quartered and sliced ( I sometimes just grate the egg whites and use that portion only)
**Creamy Balsamic Dressing**
1/2 -1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared pesto
1 tablespoon liquid honey
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Octoberfest or Dijon mustard
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
In bowl whisk together garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, pesto, honey and mayonnaise; slowly whisk in oil until dressing is smooth. When made ahead, scrape into a jar and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Whisk again before serving. Stir in shredded basil.
Cut bacon crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Fry in skillet over medium heat until crisp; drain and pat dry on paper towelling.
Place spinach, bacon, mushrooms and onion in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat evenly. With vegetable peeler, shave Asiago cheese into thin curls. Arrange over salad with eggs.
Serves 4 - 6
You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
It looks good. We have nice fresh ingredients in our markets, here in BC, even in the winter. Down east we could not find fresh spinach in the winter.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of that dressing! I get stuck in a bit of a dressing rut - I tend to make the same honey and mustard balsamic every time (as I love it) but really must give this one a try. I just love spinach in salads and with smoky bacon and egg too, this really is a meal in itself.
ReplyDeleteVal, unfortunately there is only one kind of spinach we can get here in Greece. If I ever get hold of some I really want to try it. Your dressing sounds divine. Do You have any suggestions how to use it?
ReplyDeleteHi Val,
ReplyDeleteThat does look yummy, no wonder there are no leftovers. I love spinach too, fresh and also I stock frozen ones just in case.
x Nora
I feel like I really need to get into salads again and throw this horrible winter off! You have inspired me to start thinking about them again!
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong adding cheese and bacon to a salad. :) The dressing sounds pretty tasty!
ReplyDeleteYum, never have tried the pesto in spinach salad, but I surely will next time! I am sure it gives it a perky flavor!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a wonderful salad. I must try this one because I never eat raw spinachs, I always cook them.
ReplyDeleteGosh, that looks good! I do love bacon and eggs in a spinach salad. It will be a while before I see any here though. The spinach, not the bacon and eggs. So of course it's the spinach I'm hankering for.
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDelete