Warm Spinach Salad with sliced hard boiled eggs, crisp bacon, sautéed mushrooms and shallots, and the best homemade vinaigrette dressing is the most satisfying lunch or dinner recipe!
Present on a platter or toss everything up in a large bowl. One thing is for sure - you are going to absolutely love this salad recipe!
Why this recipe is so great:
- Copycat Chart House Recipe. This recipe is not an exact copycat recipe, but it was inspired by the Chopped Spinach Salad with bacon, egg, mushrooms, and warm bacon dressing prepared tableside. It's one of our favorite things on the menu but love being able to make it at home.
- This is a full meal. This salad has everything. Tons of dark leafy green fresh spinach, perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs that add a creaminess to the tossed salad and keep you feeling full, sautéed mushrooms and shallots, crisp bacon, and a tangy warm vinaigrette that pulls it all together.
Ingredients needed:
For the salad:
- Spinach
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Mushrooms
- Shallots
Spinach salad dressing:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sugar
- Olive Oil
- Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Pepper
How to make this Warm Spinach Salad:
Full ingredient list and detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Prepare spinach. Add clean dry spinach to a large bowl or platter. First step is to add the spinach to a large bowl. You can certainly use large leaf spinach, but if you have to wash it, be sure to get all of the water off. I much prefer the baby pre-washed spinach.
- Hard boil eggs. This can be done ahead of time.
- Cook the bacon. For best results, use a Dutch oven. When the bacon is done, you will set it aside and use the grease.
- Sauté mushrooms and shallots. This is done in the remaining bacon grease. When done, set aside.
- Make the dressing. Simply whisk all the ingredients together in the bacon pan and you'll have the most delicious, warm vinaigrette.
- Serve. You can either serve your salad on a platter like I did, or toss everything in a large bowl and devour it (that's my preferred method). Enjoy!
Recipe tips for the best results:
- Wilted spinach salad: If you prefer your spinach to be slightly wilted, add the raw spinach with the warm Dutch oven that is containing the dressing and toss while the pan is still warm. If needed, you can cover the pan to allow the spinach to soften further.
- Spinach recommendation: I highly recommend buying the pre-washed baby spinach because it's ready to use. If you buy a bunch of large leaf spinach or grow it in your garden, just be sure that it is fully washed and dry before using.
- Storage: This salad is best when served and consumed immediately, but it is possible to store leftovers and enjoy later. Refrigerate leftovers in an air tight container. Enjoy cold the next day or you can warm in pan before serving. For best results, store salad without dressing and add later.
Love delicious homemade salad recipes?
Well, then, you'll want to make these:
- Steak Salad
- Raw Citrus Beet Salad Recipe
- Marinated Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Perfect Cobb Salad
- Shredded Beet and Kale Salad
- Greek Salad
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Or from my friend Amanda, Basil Shallot and Red Wine Vinaigrette to top any greens
Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Warm Spinach Salad with sliced hard boiled eggs, sauteed mushrooms, and the best homemade bacon dressing is the most satisfying lunch or dinner recipe!
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Hover to scale: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 8 ounces baby spinach (fresh, washed, dry )
- 2 large eggs
- 8 ounces bacon (uncooked, chopped into small pieces)
- 6 ounces mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
For the Salad Dressing:
- 6 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper (freshly ground)
Instructions
- Place spinach in large bowl or serving platter and set aside.
- Hard boil eggs. To do this, either cover with water in small pot, bring to a bowl, remove from heat, and let eggs sit in water for 15 minutes, then place in ice bath. Similarly, cook in an electric pressure cooker on low for 6 minutes, allow to sit at pressure for 6 minutes, then transfer to ice bath. Peel and slice eggs. Set aside.
- Fry the bacon in a skillet or Dutch oven. Start with medium high heat and gradually reduce the heat while stirring regularly as the bacon cooks to prevent burning. Continue cooking until all fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve grease.
- If more than 3 Tablespoons of bacon grease remain, discard excess. Heat skillet with 3 Tablespoons of bacon grease over medium high heat and add mushrooms and shallots. Stir immediately to coat and then allow them to sear. Stir only once after they have begun to brown to prevent from burning and allow other side to brown. Remove sautéed mushrooms and shallot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
- Using same pan with residual bacon grease, reduce heat to the lowest setting. Whisk in vinegar, sugar, and dijon mustard. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking continuously. Whisk in salt and pepper and add additional salt, if desired.
- To serve salad, toss spinach with a small amount of dressing in large bowl. Continue to add dressing until you've reached the desired amount (you may not use all of the dressing). Add sliced hard boiled eggs, cooked bacon pieces, and sauteed mushrooms and shallots. Toss to combine and serve warm.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 770mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5490IU | Vitamin C: 17.8mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2.6mg
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This recipe was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated with helpful information and recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!
Sara Welch
This was such a lovely recipe for lunch yesterday! Light, yet full of flavor! Delicious!
Roxana
This salad sounds interesting. I would have to skip the bacon, but there is a lot in the salad that's already my favorite. Nice textures, flavors and colors. I wonder if I could use some kind of sausage with it.
Anita
Such an amazing salad recipe. Using bacon fat to cook the mushroom, shallot, and also to prepare the dressing is simply genius!
Claudia Lamascolo
Perfect for summer and everything is certainly better with bacon! I love the eggs too! thanks for the recipe
Cookie
I like your plating..salads need not be boring but fun like this!
Linda Gregory Jones
Can Honey be substituted for the Sugar in this recipe?
Krissy
absolutely! -Krissy
Gretchen
I am not a fan of mushrooms. What would substitute well for them in this recipe?
Krissy
You can certainly leave them out if you'd like!