Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms & Hard-Boiled Eggs
Growing up, we were very much the “sit down to dinner as a family and no TV” type of house. My mom cooked dinner nearly every night and we waited for my dad to get home from work, then we would sit at the table and eat together. Dinner usually consisted of a protein (chicken or beef), a starch (rice or baked potato), some type of vegetable (I always put up a fight) and a side salad. Surprisingly, I never fought the salad much, as long as I didn’t get any of the leaves near the inside of the head of lettuce. Outside, leafy lettuce only, please!
For many years, I was only exposed to iceberg lettuce, until one fateful day when we had lunch at my grandparents’. My grandma served this salad as part of dinner. It was the first time I had ever eaten raw spinach and I, amazingly, loved it. Truth be told, it may have had as much, or more, to do with the bacon as it did with the spinach. Afterwards, my mom made it occasionally and I was always eager to eat it. To this day, if I make myself a salad at home or at a salad bar, I always prefer baby spinach to lettuce of any kind.
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This recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother and as far as I know the original ingredients were the spinach, bacon, onion and mushrooms. I always seemed to remember this salad with hard-boiled eggs and when I asked my mom, she said that she would often times add them when she made it. I love the inclusion of the eggs, as it adds some extra “oomph” to the salad. The warm dressing has a wonderful sweet and tangy flavor that pairs really well with all of the other ingredients.
This makes a fabulous main course salad for brunch, lunch or a light dinner, as well as an extra-special dinner side salad. I haven’t changed much since I was a kid… I’m still not crazy about vegetables, but if you dress them up with cheese or bacon, I’ll gobble them right up! ;-)
One year ago: Greek Custard Pie (Galaktoboureko)
Two years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Three years ago: Maple-Oatmeal Scones
Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms & Hard-Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (283.5 g) baby spinach
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) white mushrooms, sliced
- ½ (0.5) red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
For the Dressing:
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 g) ketchup
- ½ cup (125 ml) water
- ½ cup (127.5 ml) white vinegar
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly and re-whisk before serving.
- Arrange the spinach on plates and top with an equal amount of bacon, mushrooms, onion and sliced eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle the warm dressing over top and serve. Any leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
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YUM! This looks amazing.
Made this for lunch,the dressing is great. Reminds me of summer vacations, at my Aunt’s house.
Thank you
Spinach salad is the best….especially with bacon and hard boiled eggs! This is a favorite at our house. I will have to try your dressing the next time I prepare it.
I think I’d love this dressing…and the hard boiled eggs is a great addition! Protein!!
My boyfriend is not big on vegetables either, but for some reason he loves spinach! This sounds like such a classic salad. The ketchup is an interesting addition to the dressing…I’ll trust you on it though! :)
We never had salads that much growing up, but we always sat down and had meat, starch, and veggie – topped off by a glass of milk.
I have lots of spinach in my fridge right now, great salad for lunch!
This is my kind of salad for sure!! I love the eggs in here, I could definitely do this for lunch and be very very happy :)
As a mom of three little kids, I strive to make dinner time a family time when we sit down all together. It’s challenging sometimes but totally worth it! This salad looks so good! I am totally intrigued by the ketchup in your dressing. Will have to try it!
When my dad used to go out of town for work when I was little, I would BEG my mom to make a spinach salad for dinner (dad wasn’t too fond of it). The bacon probably influenced that for me too.
Sounds delicious! No oil in the dressing? That would be so healthy!
This looks soooo good!! I always make my own dressing. I’ll be making this sometime soon!
The salad sounds wonderful. Not sure about the dressing.
I have made this salad, but again, without the homemade dressing. I’ll add this to our dinner for tonight, I think it will be a hit!
We used to make a salad a lot like this but without homemade dressing! Now I’ll have to add this dressing to it!
I don’t love mushrooms but I think I could handle it on a salad with bacon. I’m in love with hard boiled eggs lately too. This looks so delicious!
My grandma also fixed this. Her recipe put bacon in the actual dressing part – but she didn’t use Ketchup – that’s an interesting addition. The eggs are a must in my mind as well – I can’t imagine this salad without them
I am trying to each more spinach/salads for lunch, and this answers SO MANY prayers!!! You are a life saver with this recipe, so excited to try it!
This looks delicious!! I love spinach salads so I’m thinking this will be dinner tonight. My mom lived with me and up till the day she passed she would insist on sit down dinners with me and my daughter! Thanks for the reminder.
Didn’t realize how long it has been since I made this for dinner. Love it exactly the way you have put it together. Never made my own dressing but will now.
My mom (who would be in her mid 80’s now), made this all the time – thanks for bringing back the delicious memories of ladies luncheons and Sunday dinners. The dressing is amazing. She also added bean sprouts to her spinach salad (a handful of rinsed, fresh). Made this recently at a potluck at church – huge hit!
Oh, and so thankful for the bags of baby spinach available now. Back in the 70’s, it was the large leaf that was needed to be rinsed well (sandy) and torn away from the tough stem.
My grandma made this salad too! It was always a hit. She did not heat the dressing rather served it cold and added bean sprouts to the salad. Delicious.
Definitely the tv has to be off at dinner! I love this salad!
My aunt has a similar recipe-her dressing uses 2T of the bacon grease to be the fat in the vinagrette and chilli sauce instead of ketchup to spice things up-I am forever picking out the eggs though!
My house is still a no tv and everyone sits down to dinner house! Dinner brings families together!
I love this salad..reminds me of one I used to get as a kid.
My mom almost always made her spinach salads with bacon, hard boiled egg and mushrooms…..so this reminds me of home :) I’ll have to make it soon!
I made a salad not long ago almost identical to this but my dressing is a little different. My oldest son, who will only eat ranch dressing and turns his nose up at all vinaigrette’s actually loved it. But ketchup is his most favorite condiment so I think he might like your way better! I’m gonna try it!
That dressing sounds so unique and good! Will have to try it out!
Looks like a great salad! I love spinach salads, especially with all the extras :)
What a wonderful and healthy salad!! I love hard boiled eggs and bacon together! Super Yum!! Love the healthy recipe!!!
Whenever I make a salad I have to have spinach and boiled egg and bacon too if I have it…so this salad is perfect for me! It looks absolutely delicious!
I agree, the eggs gave the salad an added “oomph”! looks yummy and refreshing, Michelle!