Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon Salad
It’s a big deal when the salad steals the show, and this is one of those times! This Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon Salad is a really delicious, crowd pleasing side dish, tossed with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon Salad Recipe
I’ve always loved salads. Believe it or not, when I was a little girl, I was at restaurants ordering a side salad with my grilled cheese instead of fries. I’m not joking at all — I can remember at least one or two waiters making funny comments about that as a kid!
What can I say? I loved salad then, I still do today. I’ve got a TON of healthy salad recipes, like my beetroot & feta salad, and today I’m sharing another winner. This bacon, spinach and blue cheese salad is delish.
When I made this the other night, I tossed it with a super simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and it was demolished in about 10 minutes flat. There’s something about that tangy salad dressing and salty bacon that I just cannot get enough of.
It’s easy enough for a weeknight salad to enjoy with dinner, but fancy enough for entertaining guests. The best part, though, is how it comes together so quickly! You’re going to love this wonderful spinach, blue cheese and bacon salad.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This fresh spinach and bacon salad is love at first bite:
- Making your own homemade vinaigrette is the perfect way to ensure that you are eating clean ingredients. There’s no fake flavors and artificial ingredients, just real food that makes an incredible dressing.
- You could eat this salad as a light meal instead of a side! The blue cheese and bacon provide some protein, so if you need a quick meal that isn’t heavy then this is perfect.
- The combination of flavors in this easy salad recipe is amazing. It’s what makes every bite delightful and will have you returning for more!
Ingredients
You don’t need a bunch of complicated ingredients to get this salad on the table! Here’s what you need:
Spinach Salad Ingredients
- baby spinach
- bacon
- pecans
- blue cheese
- red onions
Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients
- balsamic vinegar
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- oregano
- salt and pepper
Substitutions and Variations
Not a fan of pecans? A good substitute for most nuts is seeds. I’d go for sunflower seeds or pepitas in this recipe. Or swap with a different nut like cashews or slivered almonds. Even though the nutty flavor and crunch is very nice, you can always just leave them off, too!
While I love the bold flavor of red onion you could use a white onion or sweet onion. Even some green onion would be a good, more mild, flavor.
A good swap for olive oil is avocado oil! However, I recommend using olive oil if you can because it makes the flavor of the vinaigrette so delicious.
Even though blue cheese crumbles are the star of the show here, some people really hate it! Goat cheese and feta cheese are great swaps, or you could go with an even safer bet, like parmesan.
Add a bit of creamy element to this homemade dressing with a splash of dijon mustard.
You can always add extra toppings to this yummy salad! A diced hard-boiled egg would be tasty, dried cranberries would add a tangy bite, and fresh tomatoes would also be yummy.
How to Make Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon Salad
This recipe is super straight forward for even the most inexperienced home cooks. What do I mean by that? There probably won’t be any surprises, and it’s so forgiving that there’s really nothing you can mess up. Here’s how you do it.
Start by cooking the bacon. I prefer to pan fry the bacon in a skillet, but you can also make air fryer bacon.
To pan fry, just add the raw slices of bacon to a cool skillet, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cook until crispy on one side, then flip it and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set it on paper towels to drain excess grease.
Dice the red onion and chop the bacon into bite sized pieces. I like to cut everything into small pieces so I get a little with every bite. If you’re serving this to kids or friends who may not like raw red onion, cut those pieces a little larger,then they can take them out easily.
To make the balsamic vinaigrette just add everything to a small bowl or a mason jar and mix well.
Assemble the salad in a large salad bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss together. Serve immediately.
That’s it! You’ll be making this salad time and time again, I promise. Just the other night I made it to bring to dinner at a friend’s house. And you know what? Everybody loved it!
How to Store Leftover Spinach Salad
For best results, store leftovers without dressing and bacon. However, if you have leftover salad that is already been dressed, you can store it in an airtight container for about a day. It’ll be a bit wilted the next day, but still edible and tasty!
If you’re not sure how much salad you’ll serve, dress it with everything but the bacon and vinaigrette. Then everyone can add their own bacon and dressing and you can store leftovers separately in the fridge for a few days.
What To Serve with Spinach and Bacon Salad
The real question is what can’t you serve with this spinach blue cheese and bacon salad! Seriously, this goes great as a side dish for pretty much any meal. It’s incredible alongside cozy meals like stuffed sausage, Instant Pot spaghetti squash with meat sauce, and pork and sauerkraut.
Or, you could even turn it into a heartier meal by slicing up some air fryer grilled chicken and tossing it with the salad.
Salad is always yummy on pasta night too. Serve it with things like baked rigatoni or meatballs and spaghetti squash if you need something low carb. It really is a salad that pairs well with all of your favorites!
Tips for Success
Follow these few tips for success, and this will 100% end of being one of your favorite salads:
- Wash your spinach leaves in cold water to keep it extra crispy and ensure it doesn’t wilt. But you should always wash lettuce and greens before using!
- Don’t overcook your bacon. I know, some people love extra crispy bacon! But trust me, bacon crumbles that are too crunchy just don’t work in this salad.
- Let the bacon completely cool before adding to the remaining ingredients. Otherwise, the heat from the bacon could wilt the spinach a bit.
FAQ
Yes, but make sure not to dress the salad until just before serving. To keep the bacon from getting soggy, cook it and chop it up, but store separately from the rest of the salad. Just before serving, quickly pop the bacon in the microwave for just long enough to crisp it up (about one minute should do it), then add it to the salad at the same time as the salad dressing.
I like Naked Bacon, because it’s made without sugar or nitrates, but there are plenty of other options available!
More Mouth-Watering, Healthy Recipes
- Broccoli & Bacon Salad (Whole30, Gluten Free)
- Prosciutto Wrapped Pears (Whole30)
- Zucchini Caprese Salad (Gluten Free)
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus (Whole30, Low Carb)
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe!
Please drop a star rating below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom!
Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon Salad
Ingredients
Bacon, Blue Cheese and Pecan Spinach Salad
- 5-6 cups baby spinach
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/8 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup pecans
Balsamic Dressing
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoons oregano
- 1/8 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoons pepper
Video
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients
- Cook the bacon to desired crispiness. Add the raw slices of bacon to a cool skillet, then turn the heat on medium-low. Cook until crispy on one side, then turn and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set on a paper towel.
- Dice the red onion and set it aside. If I'm cooking for guests, I prefer to leave the pieces big enough for people to pick out easily (since some people don't like raw red onion), but you can do this to your preferred taste. If I'm cooking for myself and my family, I tend to slice the onion a bit smaller so I get a little with each bite.
- Chop the bacon. Once the bacon is cooled enough to handle, chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Make the Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Add the vinegar, seasonings, and oil to a container. Shake until well combined. Cover and set aside.
Assemble the Salad
- Add the spinach, bacon, pecans, blue cheese, and red onion to a large bowl or serving platter.
- Shake the salad dressing well, then drizzle over the salad and toss to combine it well. Serve immediately.
