WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
A perfect wilted spinach salad is a thing of beauty —but it is a careful balancing act. The spinach leaves (here, tender baby spinach) should be just gently wilted by the warm vinaigrette dressing. If you use too much dressing, or if the dressing is too hot, the spinach will end up overwilted and lifeless. But if you don’t use enough dressing, or if you allow the dressing to cool too much, the spinach will remain chewy and raw and less pleasant to eat. An easy trick for ensuring a properly wilted spinach salad is to have everything at the ready before you begin— tongs and all—and then toss your spinach and serve your salad the moment the vinaigrette is at the right temperature. We chose particularly sweet, fragrant, and crisp apple varieties to emphasize and offset the bacon-pecan dressing’s smoky, salty, nutty richness.
SERVES: 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 shallot, halved through root end and sliced thin crosswise
- 6 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
- 12 ounces (12 cups) baby spinach
- 1 Fuji or Honeycrisp apple, cored, halved, and sliced thin
- Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together the white wine vinegar, whole-grain mustard, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add the shallot, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave until steaming for 30 to 60 seconds. Stir briefly to submerge shallot. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- Cook the bacon and pecans: Cook the bacon and pecans in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until bacon is crisp and pecans are toasted and fragrant, for 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in the shallot mixture and let sit until heated through, about 30 seconds.
- Toss the salad: Gently toss the baby spinach with the warm vinaigrette in a large bowl until evenly coated and slightly wilted. Add the sliced apple and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve the spinach salad with bacon, pecans, and apple immediately.
Enjoy your delicious and healthy spinach salad with bacon, pecans, and apple!
