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    Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Spinach Salad

    Published: Jun 5, 2023 by Marissa Stevens · 45 Comments

    Gluten Free

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Spinach Salad recipes come in so many varieties, but this is one truly stands out from the crowd. I've been eating it since I was a kid and I never get tired of it. Imagine a delicious spicy-sweet honey and black pepper dressing coating a hearty salad of spinach, bacon, avocado, hard-boiled egg, mushroom, shallot and tomato. Sounds amazing, right!?

    Spinach-Salad served on a white platter

    My mom clipped this recipe from an electric bill in 1971. Growing up, this was a go-to salad in our house. One of those little gems that you can wow dinner guests with or use to stoke your ego at a potluck when someone says, "Have you tried this salad? It's amazing!" 

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need to Make Spinach Salad
    • Recipe Tips
    • FAQ
    • More family favorite salads to try!
    • How to make Spinach Salad
    • Recipe Video
    • Spinach Salad
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients You Need to Make Spinach Salad

    For the dressing:

    • Garlic: fresh garlic clove
    • Honey: or maple syrup
    • Olive Oil: good quality, extra-virgin olive oil
    • Unseasoned Rice Vinegar: or apple cider vinegar
    • Fine Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

    For the salad

    • Spinach: pre-washed baby spinach is ideal
    • Tomatoes: ripe plum tomatoes or roma tomatoes
    • Avocados: ripe but slightly firm avocado for easier slicing
    • Mushrooms: button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
    • Shallot: or red onion
    • Bacon: your favorite variety
    • Eggs: large eggs or extra large eggs
    Spinach-Salad-Served in a white ceramic bowl

    Recipe Tips

    I have a photocopy of the heirloom recipe. But I've made a few changes and suggest you do the same: skip the croutons, swap in olive oil for mayonnaise and, for heaven's sake, use real bacon or pork belly.

    Vintage Spinach Salad Recipe Image

    FAQ

    How do you prepare spinach for salad?

    You can use any fresh spinach that has been washed, dried and torn into bite size pieces for spinach salad. But the easiest choice (and the one I recommend) is to use pre-washed baby spinach.

    What goes well with spinach salad?

    This main-dish salad stands on its own beautifully, but makes a fantastic side dish too! I love to serve it with Baked Lamb Chops in the fall and winter months and Carne Asada and Grilled Shrimp during the summer. The recipe serves 6 people as a main course and 10 as a side.

    More family favorite salads to try!

    • Strawberry Spinach Salad (With a honey sweetened balsamic vinaigrette, fresh strawberries, pecans and creamy goat cheese!)
    • Creamy Cucumber Salad (Easy, creamy and low calorie!)
    • Corn Salad (We make this all summer!)
    • Italian Potato Salad (Hearty and delicious salad where every bite is different.)
    • Little Gem Salad (A 10 minute salad that goes with everything.)

    How to make Spinach Salad

    Add dressing ingredients to a blender pitcher: garlic, honey, rice vinegar, black pepper, and salt; blend until smooth. With blender running, add olive oil in a steady stream, blending until emulsified.

    honey black pepper dressing in a blender

    Add spinach to a large salad bowl and pour dressing over; toss to coat.

    tossing spinach with honey black pepper dressing

    Top spinach with remaining salad ingredients (tomatoes, avocados, mushrooms, shallot, bacon, and hard boiled eggs), gently toss to combine. Serve.

    spinach salad ready to toss
    tossing spinach salad

    Recipe Video

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    Spinach-Salad-Served in a white ceramic bowl featured

    Spinach Salad

    Marissa Stevens
    With tender spinach, bacon, tomatoes, avocados, mushrooms, and hard boiled eggs tossed in a honey black pepper dressing, everyone loves this salad!
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Salad
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 364 kcal
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    Ingredients
      

    For the dressing:

    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

    For the salad

    • 12 ounces baby spinach
    • 2 tomatoes cut into wedges
    • 2 avocados cubed
    • 8 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced
    • 1 medium shallot or ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
    • 4 strips bacon cooked until crisp and coarsely chopped
    • 3 hard boiled eggs cut into wedges

    Instructions
     

    • To make the salad dressing, add garlic, honey, vinegar, pepper, and salt to a blender pitcher; blend until smooth. With blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    • Add spinach to a large bowl (large enough to toss salad with dressing. Drizzle dressing over spinach and toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients (tomatoes through hard boiled eggs) and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    For a pretty presentation: Toss spinach with dressing and distribute evenly onto a large platter. Arrange all of the toppings artfully across the top and serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 9gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 279mgPotassium: 919mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 5885IUVitamin C: 29.2mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 2.6mg
    Keyword 4th of July, easy, gluten free, Memorial Day, summer
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Valentina says

      June 07, 2023 at 1:57 pm

      Beautiful salad. It could be the star of a meal for sure -- especially for its stunning presentation. Not sure I've seen a more perfectly cooked egg, BTW! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        June 12, 2023 at 3:24 pm

        aww...thanks so much, Valentina!

        Reply
    2. Chef Mimi says

      April 24, 2021 at 4:49 pm

      Great salad! They must have been hippies?! What a period of time that was. I was almost out high school! Nice to have those memories.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 26, 2021 at 9:13 am

        Yes they were, lol! They've shared a lot of great stories.

        Reply
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