Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon

Name: Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon
Total time: PT-496092H23M56S
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 pound slab or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 large shallot or small red onion, chopped; 8 cups torn spinach leaves; 1/4 cup any wine vinegar, or more to taste; 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, or more to taste; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 to 40 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound slab or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large shallot or small red onion, chopped
8 cups torn spinach leaves
1/4 cup any wine vinegar, or more to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Put the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; when it’s hot, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s crisp and lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Add the shallot and cook until it begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more. Turn the heat to low to keep the mixture warm without further cooking.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with hot tap water and let it sit for 1 minute to warm the bowl. Pour out the water, dry the inside of the bowl, and put the greens in the bowl.
Add the vinegar and mustard to the skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring. Taste the dressing and add salt (it won’t need much), lots of pepper, and a little more vinegar or mustard if you like. If the dressing looks too thick, add a few drops of water.
Pour the piping-hot dressing over the greens, toss to wilt the spinach a bit, and serve right away.

—Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics

Recipe variations

BLT Salad: Substitute torn lettuce for the spinach and skip warming the bowl in Step 2. Let the dressing cool before pouring it over the salad and add 2 cored, seeded, and chopped large ripe tomatoes at the last minute.