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.
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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 Salads
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!