Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
The steakhouse classic: tender baby spinach, mushrooms, red onion and hard-boiled egg, wilted ever so slightly under a warm, tangy bacon vinaigrette.
Nutrition per serving
2 cups- Net carbs
- 3g
- Calories
- 260kcal
- Protein
- 14g
- Fat
- 21g
- Total carbs
- 6.6 g
- Fiber
- 1.5 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Goat cheese & pecans: Creamy goat cheese and toasted pecans make the salad richer and add crunch.
- Scatter the goat cheese and pecans over the dressed salad with the eggs and bacon.
With grilled chicken: Sliced chicken breast turns the side salad into a filling main course.
- Pound the chicken to an even ¾ inch (2 cm), season with salt and pepper, rub with the oil and grill or pan-sear 5–6 minutes per side, until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest 5 minutes, slice and fan over the salads.
- Salad
- Warm bacon dressing
- Salad
- Warm bacon dressing
- Also add
- Salad
- Warm bacon dressing
- Also add
Estimated cost $5.77 for 4 servings ($1.44 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Hard-boil the eggs: lower them into boiling water and cook 11 minutes, then chill in ice water for 5 minutes. Peel and cut into quarters.
-
Put the spinach, mushrooms and red onion in a large heatproof bowl.
-
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until crisp. Lift it onto paper towels and pour the fat into a heatproof cup, then return 3 tablespoons to the pan (top it up with olive oil if you are short).
-
Over medium-low heat, cook the shallot in the bacon fat for 1–2 minutes, until soft. Take the pan off the heat and carefully whisk in the vinegar (it will sputter), the sweetener, Dijon, salt and pepper.
-
Pour the warm dressing over the salad and toss with tongs until the spinach just begins to wilt. Divide between plates, top with the eggs and bacon and serve right away.
Tips for success
-
Use baby spinach and dress it while the dressing is warm, not sizzling — you want the leaves glossy and barely softened, not cooked. - Taste the dressing before pouring: it should be sharp and a little sweet to balance the rich bacon fat. Add a splash more vinegar if it tastes flat.
- Turn it into dinner with sliced steak or salmon, or add crumbled blue cheese for a steakhouse touch.
Storage & meal prep
- Best eaten fresh
Reheat: Serve right away; rewarm leftover dressing gently until liquid before tossing it with fresh spinach.
Prep tip: Cook the bacon, make the dressing and boil the eggs ahead; rewarm the dressing and toss with fresh spinach in 2 minutes.
Best eaten immediately. The dressing keeps 4 days in the fridge (it solidifies — rewarm it gently), and hard-boiled eggs keep a week in their shells.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosGoat cheese & pecans
FlavorCreamy goat cheese and toasted pecans make the salad richer and add crunch.
- + 2 oz goat cheese
- + ¼ cup pecans
3.3 g net · 346 kcal · 17 g protein · 29 g fat · ≈$2.15 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
With grilled chicken
ProteinSliced chicken breast turns the side salad into a filling main course.
- + 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- + 1 tbsp olive oil
3 g net · 426 kcal · 39 g protein · 27 g fat · ≈$2.55 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Save it for later
Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
Save to Pinterest
