Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 04/28/22
spinach salad with warm bacon dressing

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This classic spinach salad is made with the traditional bacon dressing. The warm dressing is made with bacon drippings, vinegar, and sugar. The heat of the dressing wilts the spinach leaves and gives the spinach salad a wonderfully delicate sweet and sour flavor. 

The salad is garnished with sliced hard-cooked eggs and crumbled bacon. It gets some extra crunch from the red onion and radishes. It's a simple salad with a big flavor. See the variations for some add-in suggestions and ideas.

Make this salad as a lunch dish or take it along to a potluck or tailgating event.

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Ingredients

  • 10 to 12 ounces fresh spinach, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

  • 1/4 cup minced red onion

  • 5 to 6 radishes, thinly sliced

  • 2 large hard-boiled eggs, 1 chopped, 1 sliced

  • 2 to 4 slices bacon

  • 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 3 tablespoons vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place prepared spinach in a large bowl. Add onions and radishes.

  3. Refrigerate the salad, tightly covered.

  4. Fry or microwave bacon until crisp; remove to a paper towel and set aside.

  5. In a small jar or measuring cup combine the bacon drippings with sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate all ingredients until just before serving. When ready to serve, microwave the dressing on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or until mixture boils. Toss the chopped egg with the greens then pour the hot dressing over greens mixture; toss again lightly.

  6. Arrange the salad on salad plates and top each with a few slices of egg and crumbled bacon.

  7. Serve and enjoy.

Tip

Make-Ahead: Prepare the spinach, onion, and radishes in a serving bowl; cover and refrigerate. Prepare the eggs and bacon and refrigerate them in separate containers. Prepare the dressing and refrigerate. Just before serving time, toss the chopped egg with the spinach salad mixture. Heat the dressing; drizzle over the salad and toss. Garnish with the sliced eggs and bacon.

Recipe Variations

  • Add about 1/4 cup of pine nuts, sunflower seeds, toasted slivered almonds, or toasted pecans to the salad for additional crunch.
  • Add about 1/4 cup of raisins or dried cranberries to the salad.
  • Add sliced fresh mushrooms to the salad.
  • Omit the radishes, if desired.​
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
182 Calories
12g Fat
10g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 182
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 591mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 25mg 124%
Calcium 103mg 8%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 591mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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