on Oct 19, 2010, Updated Dec 20, 2022 7 Comments Looking for more delicious salad recipes? I think you’ll love my Favorite House Salad, Wedge Salad, and Mediterranean Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Flavor. Every bite of this salad is packed with incredible flavor! Versatile. It is delicious as a side salad, but I love adding protein like baked chicken or salmon for a complete meal. Restaurant Quality Salad at Home. I love that whenever I serve this salad, everyone comments that it tastes like eating in a fine restaurant. Simple ingredients with a big impact!
The Best Spinach Salad Recipe
The sweet crunch of pears and toasted pecans, coupled with the tangy bacon dressing and creamy blue cheese crumbles, is the perfect blend of sweet and sour, crunch and creamy. It’s delicious as a main-dish meal or as a side salad.
Spinach Salad Ingredients
For the salad: you’ll need spinach, bacon, pecans, blue cheese, red onion, and pear. For the hot bacon dressing: you’ll need bacon, sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Variations and Substitutions:
Bacon: You can use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon if desired. Cheese: You can use gorgonzola, feta, goat cheese, or aged cheddar in place of blue cheese. Pecans: You can omit the nuts or substitute them with walnuts if preferred. Pear: Use apples in place of the pear called for in the recipe. Dressing: This spinach salad is also delicious with my bacon vinaigrette dressing.
Assemble the Spinach Salad
Make the salad. Layer the fresh baby spinach, pear slices, toasted pecans, and red onion slices in a salad bowl or a platter. Top with bacon and blue cheese crumbles. Make the dressing. Whisk together the salad dressing ingredients and drizzle over the spinach salad. Serve. Toss the salad to coat all of the ingredients with the dressing. Serve.
Here’s how I make my favorite Spinach Salad with Pears and Hot Bacon Dressing.
Enjoy!Robyn xo
