You need this Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing in your life. Because… Warm Bacon Dressing! You shouldn’t need more reason than that. The salad is made with spinach, radishes and scallions tossed with a dressing made in the bacon skillet, with cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup and just a little bacon fat.

spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette

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Why We Love This Recipe For Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

This spinach salad with warm bacon dressing is such a delicious meal. The combination of fresh, crisp spinach leaves with the warm, savory dressing creates a perfect balance of flavors. If you love spinach (and bacon) salads, this one along with my Spinach Salad with Bacon and Eggs are both great choices for a hearty lunch or a light dinner during spring and summer.

Recipe Highlights

  • Just 274 calories per serving and has 17 grams of protein.
  • Only takes 15 minutes to make.
  • Hot bacon dressing makes the whole salad rich and savory.
Spinach and Scallion Salad with hot honey dressing in a salad bowl

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

  • Spinach: Mature or baby spinach works here.
  • Bacon
  • Scallions: Look for ones that are firm, crisp, and have no signs of wilting.
  • Radishes
  • Maple Syrup
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • Additional Pantry Staples: Apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Step 1: Combine spinach & scallions

Place spinach and scallions in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Make hot bacon dressing

Cook bacon in a large cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, stirring often, until browned and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove bacon to a towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Pour off fat from the skillet and reserve. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add vinegar. Stir and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Add mustard, maple, salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Whisk in olive oil.

Step 2: Toss spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette

Pour the hot dressing over the spinach and scallions, scraping out all of it with a heat-proof spatula. Toss salad. Add radish slices and the cooked bacon and toss again. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

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FAQs and Expert Tips

Storing instructions:

To store this spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette, place it in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. The salad should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 1 day for optimal freshness since it’s pre-dressed.

Alternatively, if you decide to serve the dressing on the side, place the salad in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture and keep it crisp. The salad will then last for 2 to 3 days. Store dressing in a separate sealable container.

Make-ahead instructions:

To make ahead or to prep for the week, cook the bacon and make the bacon vinaigrette and store separately in airtight containers until ready to assemble the salad and serve. A vinaigrette can typically last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container.

Variations to try:

You could swap spinach out for kale, mixed greens or escarole. You could also add other ingredients like blue cheese, walnuts, cranberries and more.

Additional Easy Salad Recipes to Try

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Spinach and Scallion Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing on Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

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5 from 2 reviews

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Description

You need this Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing in your life. Because… Warm Bacon Dressing! You shouldn’t need more reason than that. The salad is made with spinach, radishes and scallions tossed with a dressing made in the bacon skillet, with cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup and just a little bacon fat.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 cups spinach, torn into bite sized pieces if large, cleaned and spun dry
  • 6 to 8 scallions, cleaned and chopped
  • 6 slices raw bacon, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons coarse Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 radishes, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Place spinach and scallions in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Cook bacon in a large cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, stirring often, until browned and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove bacon to a towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Pour off fat from the skillet and reserve. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add vinegar. Stir and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Add mustard, maple ,salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Whisk in olive oil.
  3. Pour the hot dressing over the spinach and scallions, scraping out all of it with a heat proof spatula. Toss salad. Add radish slices and the cooked bacon and toss again. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

Notes

Storing Instructions: To store this spinach salad, place it in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. The salad should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 1 day for optimal freshness since it’s pre-dressed.

Alternatively, if you decide to serve the dressing on the side, place the salad in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture and keep it crisp. The salad will then last for 2 to 3 days. Store dressing in a separate sealable container.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 cups
  • Calories: 274
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Sodium: 1326 mg
  • Fat: 19 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 17 g

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