Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 pound (226g) bacon (cut into 1/2-inch pieces)

3/4 pound (340g) baby spinach

3/4 pound (340g) white or cremini mushrooms (sliced)

1 small red onion (sliced)

5 tablespoons (75g) bacon fat (from the cooked bacon above)

1 large shallot (minced)

1/2 cup (120g) extra virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons (75g) red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons (30g) honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

salt and pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano

Directions

For the salad

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick pan over medium heat until crisp (about 10 minutes) then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 5 tablespoons of bacon fat for the dressing.

Place the spinach, mushrooms, and red onion into a large salad bowl.

For the dressing

In the same pan as used for the bacon heat the reserved bacon fat and the extra virgin olive oil to medium-low and cook the shallots until soft (about 3-4 minutes).

Add the mustard, honey, vinegar, and cheese to the pan and whisk together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat down to low but keep the dressing warm.

Sprinkle half of the bacon and pour half of the dressing onto the salad and toss well. Add a bit more dressing if needed but don't overdress it. Serve the remaining dressing on the side and top each plate with the remaining bacon. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 347 kcal
• Total Fat: 25.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 6.9 g
• Cholesterol: 44 mg
• Sodium: 954 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 13.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
• Total Sugars: 8.2 g
• Protein: 18.8 g