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spinach salad with warm bacon honey mustard dressing

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Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon & Honey Mustard Dressing

So I have this problem. Namely, it’s a shocking inability to put a salad in my mouth that is not, at the very least, just as unhealthy than a burger or a pizza or any other non-salad-y unhealthy thing that I would otherwise be eating if I weren’t eating a “healthy” salad.  And then I also have this other problem — namely, a shocking inability to leave bacon out of anything and everything.  (Creamed corn.  Pancakes. … Chocolate chip cookies.)  Put those two together and … well, you get this salad. Ta-da! Two wrongs do make a right!  (Or two rights make a righter right.)

The salad dressing was inspired by the same restaurant I wrote about last week, home of the pudding-y creamed corn that gave rise to this one. (With bacon.) That same restaurant also has one of my favorite salad dressings ever, a wicked hot bacon and honey mustard dressing that is every bit as decadent and delicious as it sounds. (It’s usually used over this monster. Now there’s a salad.)  It used to be kind of my undoing.  And now that I’ve discovered that it’s actually a thing, and perfectly easy to make at home?  It’s definitely my undoing.  I could drink this stuff.  And over goat cheese, more bacon, caramelized onions, and pretty much all my other favorite things — this may be my favorite salad ever.  It might not have been healthier for me than a burger (well, actually, I think it still might be … barely), but I never for a moment wished I was eating a burger instead. 😉

And, to finish, here’s a picture I took that makes me laugh.  Glorified bacon.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon & Honey Mustard Dressing
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon & Honey Mustard Dressing Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon & Honey Mustard Dressing
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon & Honey Mustard Dressing

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Spinach salad with warm bacon-honey mustard dressing.

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dressing inspired by California Dreaming, The Pioneer Woman, and Smitten Kitchen.

  • Yield: serves two. 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • for the salad:
  • 4 rashers of bacon
  • 1/2 onion, sliced (preferably red, but all I had was white)
  • 8–9 oz baby spinach (or one large bag)
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles (or more)
  • 4 tbsp slivered or sliced almonds
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, diced (optional)
  • 1 tomato, diced (optional)
  • for the dressing:
  • 3 tbsp bacon fat, reserved from bacon
  • 2 tbsp mild vinegar (red wine, apple cider, or even rice vinegar will work; not distilled white or balsamic)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp honey mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. First, prepare your bacon. I usually bake it in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and the fat is rendered. You can also sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over it to caramelize it.
  2. While it’s baking, caramelize your onions. There are plenty of tutorials on how to do this properly, but more or less, simply spread onions in a single layer in a large saucepan and leave to panfry gently at medium-low to low heat, stirring very infrequently, for at least 20-30 minutes (and up to 40-50 for the best flavor), or until very soft and almost jam-like, and onions have darkened to a rich brown. You can add a bit of vinegar and sugar at the end if you like, but it’s entirely optional.
  3. Drain the bacon, reserving three tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the bacon fat to a small saucepan or pot while still warm. Do not turn on the heat yet. Add in the vinegar (careful, it may spatter depending on how hot the bacon fat still is), sugar, and honey mustard. Turn the heat to low and stir until all ingredients have dissolved, then remove and add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Place the spinach in a large bowl. Crumble the bacon, then add to the salad, along with goat cheese crumbles, almonds, caramelized onions, and anything else you might like — I added some diced hard-boiled eggs and tomatoes. Toss lightly with the dressing and serve.

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  2. mandylee@ladyandpups

    Do you know… That I sometimes look out your window into Brooklyn and dream of being back to New York again?… Just thought you might wanna know…

    Besides that, healthy salads are for willing goats. We are not goats. We are lions.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      I’m secretly enticing you to come back, Mandy. Move back to New York.. come show me the joys of homemade express spicy miso ramen…

      Also, I legitimately laughed out loud this morning when I read your comment. “We are lions.” YES. This is why you rock.

      Reply

  3. Jane Y.

    i think this is the kind of salad my husband (and me) would love. our salads have been so so boring and i’m always looking for ways to make it more fun. bookmarking this for the future! we always love getting a bag of spinach from trader joe’s so this is perfect!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Yesss! I felt the same way! And then this salad came along and I loved it so much that I was pretty much just eating it with my face. I hope you love it if you try it, Jane! And sending good vibes your way for precious Piri <3

      Reply

  4. Erika

    You can never ever go wrong with bacon and at least you try with salad.. it’s a struggle for me but I could definitely get down with this one.. And I love the view from your window. 🙂

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oh girl me too. I almost never have salad… It’s such a shame. So I figure bacon-y spinach is better than no spinach at all!! 🙂 Thanks so much, Erika!

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      HA, right?! That’s why I say do whatever you want to salad, cuz if it’s one thing that can be said for this, it’s that I enjoy it just as much as pizza. 🙂 #worthit

      Reply

  7. Lan | morestomach

    unhealthy salads are the way to go. just last week we made the most unhealthy salad, complete with bacon and then making the pita bread croutons in ALL of the LEFTOVER BACON GREASE. no regrets, no remorse.

    in college i used to douse my salads in ranch dressing. it was more like RANCH SOUP with some lettuce leaves. again, no regrets, no remorse.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Girrrrrl. I like your STYLE. Pita bread croutons in bacon grease? Count me in!! No regrets ever.

      Ahaha oh college — I used to get a gigantic crispy chicken salad with croutons, cheese, and blue cheese dressing galore. (And back then, I actually did think I was eating healthy. L-O-L.)

      Reply

  13. Lindsey

    Will you still talk to me if I told you that I’ve never eaten bacon!!! : / My husband however is THE bacon man and would absolutely love this salad! Beautiful shots btw, Cynthia.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Haha NEVER EVER? Wow. I’m actually more in awe than anything. (And kind of envious at how much healthier you must be!) And actually, my officemate doesn’t eat pork, and I’m beginning to feel like a terrible human being every time I bring baked goods into the office that should not typically contain bacon… and then forget and offer it to him. .__. Luckily he’s never actually eaten it!

      PS Random, but do you mind if I ask you where you got that beautiful dishcloth/cloth napkin that you use in your photos? It has the most wonderful texture!

      Reply

      • Lindsey

        My mom picked it up for me a couple years ago. It’s from the Farm Shop at Blue Hill at Stone Barns up in Westchester County. I doubt they have them anymore, and I’ve even tried googling it, but no luck 🙁 Canvas, in the city has some really lovely linen towels, you might want to try them 😉

        Reply

        • tworedbowls

          I am so late with this! Tell your mom she has impeccable taste 😉 I’ll have to check out Canvas sometime very soon. Thank you so much, Lindsey! <3

    • tworedbowls

      Ooh yay!! I hope you love it if you try it. Also, 1. I love that you said “wauw” SO much, and 2. love your blog! So glad you commented so that I could find you today. Excited to keep following you! 🙂

      Reply

  15. Jessica (Coco/Mingo)

    You know, I used to be all about salads, but lately I’m finding that I’m just as hungry after a salad as I am before it! Maybe it’s because it’s winter and they just don’t satisfy me as much? I’m always looking for something more hearty…and if I ate bacon, this sure would be it!! But I can tell you this much – my bf would definitely gobble up his AND my servings of this salad! And ahhh, your photography!! So gorgeous!! Hope you’re having a great day, C!!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Ugh, me too! It’s my perpetual problem with salads. I also hate when they’re ice-cold (have you ever had Chop’t? I love them, but their salads are absolutely frigid. I’m cold thinking about it.) I think that’s why I love this one so much — warm dressing, yummy fatty filling foods… baha. And aww, thanks for such sweet words! They were needed today for sure <3 hope you had a good rest of your day too my dear!

      Reply

  17. emily

    All salads should aspire to be this salad. This is totally the cool kid on the playground. Of salads. Or maybe the fat kid. Or maybe the fat kid that, lo and behold, can totally do cherry drops and death drops from the bars despite his portly shape. Because he’s just that cool. Yep, that one.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      HAHAHA omg. omg. this. Not to put pressure on you or anything, Em, but your comments never ever fail to make me lol. Yes… this salad is the fat cool acrobatic kid we all knew and admired back in the fourth grade. To a tee.

      Reply

  20. The-broken-bread

    Loved reading this post Cynthia! Sometimes a salad needs an assortment of goodies to make a bit more enjoyable.. And I must say that the addition of bacon is this one is definitely a step in the right direction.

    Reply

  22. Melody

    That is an incredible dressing! I found this recipe today through pinterest, but I’m wishing I had found it yesterday when I was frying up a whole package of bacon for lentil soup. I used the fat then for caramelizing onions, but I would have reserved some for this salad had I known. At least now I have this recipe in reserve for the next time bacon graces our table. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply