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My Spinach Salad is a family favorite recipe from my mom! The perfect recipe for big family functions and get togethers. It is made with my delicious homemade croutons and of course hard boiled eggs .
Last night as I watched my kids play with each other . . . . aggressively, I thought of my mom. I was watching them, knowing that any second it was going to go from fun “roughhousing” (that makes me feel epically old) to actual murder, and remembering my mom yelling at us saying, “One of you is going to get hurt!” and then when we were older, “Just don’t kill each other!” and then when we were even older, “Just don’t break my house!”
The struggle of motherhood is sometimes a little too real.
For the record, our evening did in fact end in tears, and once again it was proven that mothers know all and see all.
Husband and I loved it! 10/10 will do it again! Thanks
Another time my mom knew all was in the making of this amazing spinach salad. This is a family favorite recipe that I grew up on. It was at all of our big family functions and became so synonymous with family holidays that after my mom passed away and I found this recipe in her cookbook, my sister-in-law was overjoyed! She’d grown to love it too.
My mom’s handwritten recipe is below. You can tell it’s been well-loved. I just love her handwriting.
Spinach Salad Ingredients
If you aren’t a big fan of spinach, I beg you to give this spinach bacon salad a go. The other ingredients that you add to the fresh spinach combine perfectly. Then you top it with the most amazing spinach salad dressing that pulls it all together. My family always requests this at holidays and birthdays!
To make it taste perfect top it with these ingredients:
- Hard boiled eggs : Such a yummy addition to this salad. They can be made on the stovetop or, my favorite way to make them, in the Instant Pot !
- Water chestnuts: Add a great crunch to the salad.
- Bean sprouts (trust me)
- Bacon: I like to dice it with kitchen shears before cooking it, but you can also cook it in the air fryer or bake it in the oven. I share more on this below.
- Homemade croutons : If you don’t feel like making them, buy some, but these are super easy to make and last for weeks!
- Spinach salad dressing : Read more on what makes this dressing perfect for spinach salad below.
How to Make a Spinach Salad with Bacon
Here is a brief overview of how this recipe for spinach salad comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Prepare the salad ingredients. Cook and chop the bacon, make the hard boiled eggs, and make the croutons.
- Put the salad together. Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Add a small amount of dressing, or set it to the side for each person to add their own. Enjoy!
Spinach Salad Dressing
The dressing for this salad is pretty crucial. It is made up of all the right flavor combinations to be the best spinach salad dressing! Simple ingredients combine right in your blender for a quick and flavorful dressing. Seriously, this salad would not be what it is without this dressing.
As noted in the recipe below, grating an onion can be annoying. I would suggest dicing it, throwing it in a blender to cut it more finely, adding all the rest of the ingredients for the dressing, and then blending to combine. You can find the full recipe for the dressing including all measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Spinach Salad Dressing
Cooking Bacon
Like I mentioned above, there are a few different ways to cook bacon. If you want to make it on the stovetop, I recommend dicing it into small pieces before cooking. Just as it begins to crisp, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and put it on a paper towel-lined plate.
You can also cook it in the air fryer or bake it in the oven to avoid the grease splatter. It comes out perfectly crisp every time without the mess. If you go one of these routes, I recommend cooking it in strips and then dicing it before adding it to the salad.
Air Fryer Bacon
Finding Water Chestnuts and Bean Sprouts
At my grocery store, they are with the Asian food. Drain both well before adding them to the salad. If the bean sprouts make you nervous, just add a little, not the whole jar. But I really love them in this. And the water chestnuts add the most perfect crunch.
Homemade Croutons
One of my favorite parts of making things from scratch is being able to control exactly what is in it. Not only can you adjust the flavor to be exactly what you like, but you skip out on added preservatives and sweeteners that can be found in store-bought things. Making croutons at home is so easy. They taste so much better than storebought croutons, that I haven’t bought a bag of croutons since I came up with this recipe.
Homemade Croutons
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs are such a yummy addition to this salad. They can be made on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot ! If they aren’t peeled they can last up to one week in the refrigerator.
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Making Spinach Bacon Salad Ahead of Time
If you want to make this salad ahead of time, I would suggest leaving out the croutons and leaving off the salad dressing. Toss the croutons in right before serving. Toss in a little spinach salad dressing and leave the rest on the side for each person to add to their salad themselves.
Other Great Recipes for Gatherings
I love big recipes that you can bring to a family gathering or a potluck. Here are several I love:
- Crab Pasta Salad : Another of my mom’s recipes that makes a lot and is a crowd-pleaser.
- Greek Quinoa Salad: A great option for a lighter recipe for a crowd.
- Italian Pinwheels: These make a great party appetizer!
If you make this easy spinach salad recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d be so grateful if you came back and left a comment telling me how you enjoyed it. I love hearing from you!
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Ingredients
Spinach Salad Dressing
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (200 grams)
- 1/3 cup ketchup (90 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar (148.5 grams)
- 1/4 cup vinegar (60 grams)
- 1 small white onion grated (see note)
Bacon Spinach Salad
- 10 ounces baby spinach stems removed (283.5 grams)
- 14 ounces bean sprouts drained (396 grams before draining)
- 8 ounces sliced water chestnuts drained (230 grams before draining)
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 1 pound bacon diced and cooked (453.6 grams)
- 2 cups croutons (112 grams)
Instructions
- To make the salad dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Either add a small amount of dressing and toss to combine (adding the croutons after the dressing), or serve the dressing on the side.
Recipe Video
Notes
did you make this
Spinach Bacon Salad
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Spinach Bacon Salad
Ingredients
Spinach Salad Dressing
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (200 grams)
- 1/3 cup ketchup (90 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar (148.5 grams)
- 1/4 cup vinegar (60 grams)
- 1 small white onion grated (see note)
Bacon Spinach Salad
- 10 ounces baby spinach stems removed (283.5 grams)
- 14 ounces bean sprouts drained (396 grams before draining)
- 8 ounces sliced water chestnuts drained (230 grams before draining)
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 1 pound bacon diced and cooked (453.6 grams)
- 2 cups croutons (112 grams)
Instructions
- To make the salad dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Either add a small amount of dressing and toss to combine (adding the croutons after the dressing), or serve the dressing on the side.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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