Spinach Salad recipes come in so many varieties, but this 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!?
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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!” After all these years, it’s still the spinach salad I measure all others against.
“WOW!!! This recipe arrived in our PG&E bill many years ago (1991?) and was a major favorite, but then I lost it, and was never able to recreate it perfectly. You have made my day!”
Judi
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Spinach Salad
For the dressing:
- Garlic: Fresh garlic clove gives the dressing a nice kick. I like to mince it very finely to ensure it blends well into the dressing.
- Honey: This adds the perfect sweetness to balance the pepper. For a vegan option, maple syrup works beautifully too, with a slightly different but equally delicious flavor profile.
- Olive Oil: Use good quality, extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor. This is where you’ll really taste the difference between standard and premium oils.
- Unseasoned Rice Vinegar: Provides a clean, mild acidity that doesn’t overpower. Apple cider vinegar is a great substitute with a slightly fruitier note.
- Fine Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: The pepper is actually a star ingredient in this dressing, not just a seasoning. Don’t skimp on it or use pre-ground if possible.
For the salad
- Spinach: Pre-washed baby spinach is ideal for its tender texture and convenience. I look for bright, crisp leaves without any yellowing or wilting.
- Tomatoes: Ripe plum or roma tomatoes hold their shape well when cut into wedges. In summer, I sometimes substitute garden-fresh heirloom varieties for extra flavor.
- Avocados: Choose avocados that are ripe but still slightly firm for easier slicing. They should yield to gentle pressure but not feel mushy.
- Mushrooms: Button mushrooms are classic, but cremini (baby portobellos) add a deeper, earthier flavor. Slice them thin so they absorb some of the dressing.
- Shallot: Offers a milder, more elegant flavor than onion. If substituting red onion, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes first to reduce their sharpness.
- Bacon: Your favorite variety works here. I prefer center-cut for its meatier texture and less fat, but thick-cut pepper bacon adds another dimension of flavor.
- Eggs: Large eggs are standard for hard-boiling. For the perfect hard-boiled egg, I start them in cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat for 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
I still have a photocopy of the heirloom recipe that my mom clipped decades ago. But I’ve made a few changes over the years and suggest you do the same: skip the croutons (they get soggy anyway), swap in olive oil for the original mayonnaise base, and, for heaven’s sake, use real bacon or pork belly instead of bacon bits. These small tweaks transform a good salad into something truly memorable that still honors the original spirit..
How to Prepare Spinach for Salad
You can use any fresh spinach that has been thoroughly washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces for this salad. But the easiest choice (and the one I recommend) is to use pre-washed baby spinach. It’s tender, requires no additional prep, and has a milder flavor that works perfectly with these toppings. If using regular spinach, be sure to remove any tough stems before adding to the salad.
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. Add spinach to a large salad bowl and pour dressing over; toss to coat.
Top spinach with remaining salad ingredients (tomatoes, avocados, mushrooms, shallot, bacon, and hard boiled eggs), gently toss to combine. Serve.
Spinach Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 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 1/2 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I like main dish salads and this certainly is one that has stood the test of time. Your dressing instead of a mayo based one is perfect.
Thank you, Karen!
this sounds very retro but i bet it’s tasty!
Thanks, Sherry!
Such a fresh, spring like salad perfect for quick and easy weeknight meal. So many different textures going on in this dish too, love the crispy bacon and creamy avo, delish!
aww…thank you, Kevin!
Marissa, this salad sounds and looks delicious. I also clicked on “my mom” and loved that post too. So very touching.
That’s so sweet of you, Valentina. Thank you. xo
I tried this today. I’ve never put avocado in a spinach salad, but it worked, as did the shallot. For me, though, the sweet dressing was a fail. My husband didn’t like it either. Spinach salad really needs hit of tart lemon (which adds that almost hollandaisy flavour to the eggs yolks) or red wine vinegar, and in my experience, it never has even a slightly sweet dressing. I knew the 2 tbsp of honey be way too sweet so I halved it. Alas, still a no go. I’d make a more traditional oil and vinegar dressing next time. But, I love the presentation of this salad, the addition of the black pepper, and I’ll continue adding shallots and avocado to my spinach salad from now on (the shallot is more complex than the typical red onion). I also like the story behind it. Overall, this recipe was a good find! Thanks.
Hi Lee! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m typically not a fan of sweet dressings either, but the black pepper bite in this one makes it work for me. I’m glad that you have some alternative dressings in mind to better suit you tastes!
An oldie but a goodie Marissa! Such a deliciously hearty salad. Love that dressing. Thanks for sharing!
Well said, MaryAnn, thank you. I love oldie but goodie recipes!
I love recipes like this! Some of my favorites are totally hand-written or clipped out recipes very similar to this one. And I totally laughed at the imitation bacon bits in the recipe. *facepalm* 🙂 But this salad is indeed right up my alley (with real bacon of course). I’ve actually been craving a good salad lately, so I might need to make this one happen!
You crack me up, David! *facepalm* is the perfect response to fake bacon bits. 😉
Oh my goodness – that is so cute! You still have the recipe!! You know it HAS to be good if you still have it! So happy that you used real bacon too (that other stuff just won’t fly 😉 ). I could see myself eating this one all summer long – right up my alley!! YUM!! Have a great week, Marissa! xo
Thanks so much, my friend! You have a great week too!
Wow it’s a real classic recipe! I adore honey and black pepper dressing. It is just so versatile. This is pretty similar to mine and I love the balance of sweetness and savoury 😀
I’d love to try your version too! Your recipes are always spot on.
Hi Marissa. Yet another lovely and delicious salad. I buy honey at farmer’s markets when I can. My girlfriend in Arkansas sent me a bottle of the best raw honey I have ever had. In the summer I tend to lean towards a nice salad and a piece of grilled meat or fish. It helps to take off the extra I’ve gained eating heavier meals in the winter too. Due to a number of reasons we didn’t get the garden planted this year so I’m having to search out good fresh produce. We did, of course, have the asparagus and we have some volunteer potatoes. I do intend to get some tomato and pepper plants that I’ll put in my side herb garden.
I’m the same, Dorothy. I love simple summer meals like that. Have you ever tried Meadowfoam honey? I’ve only been able to find it at a little shop in Sebastopol, California (Beekind) – it’s incredible! Tastes like melted marshmallows.
Still jealous of your garden, even if it’s just volunteer. 🙂
I love spinach for its neutral flavor and, thus, lots of ways to use it in salads. This one, with avocado, mushrooms, and REAL bacon makes a winning combo. But wait. Electric bill? That’s really cool, Marissa!
Too bad utility companies don’t still send out stellar recipes – might soften the blow of the charges. 😉
I love a huge fresh salad anytime of year, but especially in the warmer months! Loving this dressing combo. 🙂
Me too, Lindsay! It’s fun how the ingredients evolve over the seasons.
I’m drooling over this salad (and those hard-boiled eggs!). This looks like enough for a main course, but if you were serving it as a side, what would you put with it?
Thanks Tess! You’re right, we usually have this as a main course or a hearty lunch. It’s also great served with soup (like the butternut squash and ginger on this site – one of my favorites). I could also see it served with grilled salmon or other flavorful fish. We’ve had it next to a juicy steak too. 🙂
Wow, sounds amazing! I could definitely go for some juicy steak right about now. Thank you!
OMG, just the way I like a spinach salad Marissa! Bacon, egg and a honey dressing. There’s no better way. And I’m in love with vintage recipes. Kudos to your mom!
I’ve never thought of it as a vintage recipe – what a nice way to put it!
I grew up making Christmas Cookies from the Wisconsin Power and Electric Company gift recipe book, every year. I still have one of those books, and wish I had them all…
I love it! I wonder how the recipe in the power bill thing got started? Too bad they don’t still do it…