This Spinach and Mushroom Salad is hearty, delicious and incredibly nutritious. A healthy option for dinner or as a BBQ side as it is packed full of iron and B Vitamins.
We have combined white button mushrooms with salty bacon and pine nuts, which have all been sautéed until golden, then tossed in our zingy lemon balsamic dressing with dried tomatoes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Baby Spinach - is used as a base because it is hearty and partners well with mushrooms. Raw silver beet, chard or kale would also work well here.
- White Button Mushrooms - added as an additional vegetable and to boost the satiety in this salad, they also add a power boost of B vitamins. You could also try some eggplant, zucchini or chickpeas (garbanzo beans) instead.
- Bacon - added for its wonderful smoky, salty flavour, you can easily swap for diced ham, pancetta or prosciutto.
- Dried Tomatoes - used for a pop of bright colour and their intense tomatoey flavour. If you cannot find dry-packed tomatoes, you can use sun-dried tomatoes in oil but rinse and dry them thoroughly before adding them to your salad.
As a replacement jarred red peppers or halved cherry tomatoes would also work well here. - Pine Nuts - added for crunch and for their buttery piney flavour, try some seeds such as pepitas or sunflower seeds, pecans or peanuts instead.
- Lemon Balsamic Dressing - adds a tangy, refreshing flavour to this salad. If you are in a hurry, try some balsamic glaze instead. But the lemon really adds something special to this dressing.
You Will Need
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare the Ingredients
Wash baby spinach, remove any wilted or damaged leaves and either pat or spin dry in a salad spinner.
Cut off the rind from your bacon, then dice into half-inch (1.5cm) pieces. Separate the pieces so that they cook evenly.
If your mushrooms are full of dirt, submerge them in a water bath, drain and pat dry. Cut off the stems and then quarter them.
Step 2 - Sauté Your Ingredients
Add your bacon to a hot pan and cook until golden (approximately 3-4 minutes).
Add the pine nuts and cook until golden. (approximately 1-2 minutes).
Add the quartered mushrooms; if you find that there is not enough fat from the bacon, then add two tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté your mushrooms until slightly soft (approximately 3-4 minutes).
Step 1 - Prepare Tomatoes and Parmesan.
Cut your dried-tomatoes into strips; if you are using tomatoes in oil make sure that you rinse the oil off the tomatoes and pat them dry before cutting.
Using a vegetable peeler to shave your parmesan into flakes.
Step 4 - Shake Up Your Dressing
Add your dressing ingredients to a glass jar, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and shake well to combine.
Step 5 - Assemble Your Salad
Add all your salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl, season with sea salt and cracked pepper, pour over the dressing and toss well to combine. Garnish with parmesan flakes and serve.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
This salad is substantial enough to have as a main meal, but it partners beautifully with grilled meats and would make a great BBQ side. Try it with pepper steak or lemony chicken fillets.
Tips and Questions
Can I make this salad ahead?
- You can make this salad several hours in advance and just add the dressing just before serving.
- Prepare the bacon; mushroom mix the day before, then allow it to come to room temperature before adding the spinach, dried-tomatoes and dressing to your salad.
- Make the dressing up to a week in advance and store in an air-tight container in your fridge.
What About the Leftovers?
- The leftovers make a sensational addition to some pasta the following day. I like to boost the mushroomy flavour by rehydrating some dried porcini mushrooms in hot water and adding the liquid and chopped-up porcini mushrooms to the pasta.
- You can also transform the leftovers into a filling for a tart, quiche, frittata or omelette.
More Mushroom Salad Recipes...
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Non-stick frypan
- Salad Spinner
- Vegetable Peeler
Ingredients
- 100 grams Baby Spinach (4 cups, 3.53 ounces )
- 240 grams Bacon (6 rashers, 8.47 ounces)
- 500 grams Mushrooms (17.64 ounces)
- ½ cup Sun dried toms
- ½ cup Pine nuts
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsps lemon juice fresh (juice from 1 large lemon)
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest zest from 1 large lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Wash baby spinach, remove any wilted or damaged leaves and either pat or spin dry in a salad spinner.
- Cut off the rind from your bacon, then dice into half-inch (1.5cm) pieces. Separate the pieces so that they cook evenly.
- If your mushrooms are full of dirt submerge them in a water bath, drain and pat dry. Cut off the stems and then quarter them.
- Add your bacon to a hot pan and cook until golden (approximately 3-4 minutes).
- Add the pine-nuts and cook until golden. (approximately 1-2 minutes).
- Add the quartered mushrooms, if you find that there is not enough fat from the bacon then add two tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté your mushrooms until slightly soft (approximately 3-4 minutes).
- Cut your dried-tomatoes into strips, if you are using tomatoes in oil make sure that you rinse the oil off the tomatoes and pat them dry before cutting.
- Using a vegetable peeler shave your parmesan into flakes.Cut your dried-tomatoes into strips, if you are using tomatoes in oil make sure that you rinse the oil off the tomatoes and pat them dry before cutting.
- Using a vegetable peeler shave your parmesan into flakes.
- Add your dressing ingredients in a glass jar, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and shake well to combine.
- Add all your salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl, season with sea salt and cracked pepper, pour over the dressing and toss well to combine. Garnish with parmesan flakes and serve.
Mahajayam says
Perfect dish!