Classic Spinach Salad with Turkey Bacon
We’ve updated this classic American salad by using lower fat turkey bacon and adding a few extra veggies to make it healthier. You can get creative and modify it to your own tastes, of course - glazed walnuts or sliced avocado would be excellent additions. For non-salad eaters in the family, serve the bacon, spinach, extra hard-boiled eggs, and tomatoes separately.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs hard-boiled and sliced
- 8 oz. bacon (turkey, pork, or meatless)
- 6 - 9 oz. baby spinach
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, to taste, or use Gorgonzola, feta or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup sliced cremini or white button mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 1/4 red or yellow onion thinly sliced about 1/4 cup
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved about 1/2 pint
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing (store-bought or homemade), or to taste, see below for homemade directions
Instructions
- Hard boil the eggs, if necessary, and soak them in cold water to cool them. Peel and slice the eggs.
- Slice the bacon the short way into thin strips and cook them in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until they are browned and crispy, 8 - 10 minutes.
- In a large serving bowl, top the spinach with the eggs, cheese, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. When the bacon is crisp, add it to the salad, top it with the dressing, and toss thoroughly. Serve it immediately.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
- You can make your own easy and delicious salad dressing by whisking together 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tsp. minced herbs such as basil and mint. Add 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, if desired. Refrigerate the extra dressing.
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Hard boil, slice, and refrigerate the eggs, if necessary, slice, cook, and refrigerate the bacon, crumble or shred the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, chop the mushrooms, slice the onion, halve the tomatoes, prepare the dressing if making your own.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Use extra sliced onion in the salad, and use aged blue cheese.
Tip: Avoid immersing mushrooms in water to clean them. They are like sponges and will absorb water if put in a bowl to soak. A better bet is to gently rinse and then dry them with a clean dishtowel.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 220, Total Fat: 16g, 5%; Saturated Fat: 5g, 23%; Cholesterol: 155mg, 52%; Sodium: 1170mg, 49%; Total Carbohydrate: 4g, 1%; Dietary Fiber: 5g, 20%; Sugar: 2g; Protein: 16g
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