Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

We enjoyed this salad with our Pork Tenderloin Marsala last night. I can’t take all the credit on this one… I knew what I wanted this to be in theory, but had to call in the real chef (Blake) for the execution on the warm bacon vinaigrette. It turned out great – and the different color tomatoes made it a beautiful salad as well! This would be a great addition to any meal (or make a meal by itself!). Some of the quantities below are approximate – real chefs don’t have time to measure 🙂 Just taste and adjust as needed.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Salad
Fresh spinach (6 to 8 cups)
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup golden cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 large tomatoes, cut into slender wedges

Vinaigrette
6 slices of bacon, diced
1/2 of a sweet onion, julienned
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar (or more to taste)
1/4 cup honey (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

1.) Add ingredients for salad into a salad bowl.
2.) In a nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium low heat until the fat is rendered (and bacon is starting to get crispy). Add onion, and sauté until onion is soft. Add vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust to your liking. Dressing should be tangy and slightly sweet.
3.) Pour warm dressing over spinach salad and toss well.

*Don’t drain the bacon grease – this acts as the oil in the dressing.