Spinach Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

January 3, 2012 by Leanne Vogel November 8, 2017

Spinach, bacon and tomatoes. A match in heaven if you ask me! This salad is sweet, savory, with just a perfect lightness to it!

Ingredients

Tomato Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar + 1-2 tablespoon
• 2 tablespoon water
• 1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon herbamare
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Salad

• 8 cups baby spinach leaves
• 4 eggs, hard boiled
• 6 slices beef bacon – see note
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms – see note
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

To prepare the salad dressing:

1. Combine all ingredients but extra vinegar in a small saucepan. Heat on medium heat until it is brought to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in additional apple cider vinegar for some extra kick!
4. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad:

1. Hard boil the eggs using this handy-dandy guide on the perfect hard boiled egg.
2. Cook the bacon as per package instructions – about 2 minutes per side on medium heat. Remove from pan, place on a paper towel lined plate and pat the excess fat off. Cut into pieces and set aside.
3. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle with enough dressing to coat; toss gently and serve immediately.
4. Leftover dressing can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you have leftovers of the salad with the dressing on, the spinach will become wilted overnight, but it’s still tasty! I like adding the wilted salad to a lunch wrap with chicken or chickpeas!
5. Alternatively, portion out vegetable ingredients without dressing if you plan on storing the leftovers for future meals.

Notes

I purchase beef bacon at our local butcher but haven’t found it in any grocery stores yet. Pork or turkey bacon would also work. Watch the ingredients in turkey bacon. I find that many brands use a lot of fillers and artificial ingredients.

I used cremini mushrooms because I find them to be meatier than white mushrooms.

Nutrition Information Per Serving