The Ultimate Bacon, Egg, and Spinach Salad: A Flavorful Meal with Mustard Miso Vinaigrette

Indulge in a hearty, vibrant spinach salad featuring crispy bacon, perfectly boiled eggs, and a uniquely tangy mustard & miso dressing. This delicious combination creates an ideal light luncheon or a satisfying complete meal. (Jump straight to the full recipe below!)

Bacon and eggs? Often associated with a leisurely breakfast or a hearty brunch, these beloved ingredients prove their versatility far beyond the morning table. Imagine them transformed into a vibrant, healthy, and incredibly satisfying salad. Yes, please!

Who could say no to a dish that masterfully combines tender, nutrient-rich baby spinach leaves with a scattering of crunchy sunflower seeds, savory crisp bacon slices, and perfectly cooked, creamy hard-boiled eggs? The secret ingredient that ties this entire symphony of textures and flavors together is a robust, grainy mustard-miso dressing. This isn’t just any vinaigrette; the miso paste introduces a delightful salty umami richness that elevates the entire salad, complementing the array of hearty ingredients with its profound depth.

This bacon, egg, and spinach salad is more than just a side dish; it makes a wonderfully light yet fulfilling lunch. For a more substantial meal, consider serving it alongside a thick slice of wholesome, whole-grain bread, or perhaps even a cheesy Irish Cheese Toastie. Its balanced profile of protein, healthy fats, and greens makes it an excellent choice for a nutritious and delicious dinner any night of the week.

One of the best aspects of this recipe is its incredible speed. By setting your eggs to boil and frying your bacon concurrently with preparing the simple dressing, you can have this flavorful meal on the table in as little as 15 minutes. A convenient shortcut? Using a package of pre-washed baby spinach not only saves time but ensures you have perfectly dry leaves ready for dressing. Below, we’ll guide you through a foolproof method for hard-boiling eggs that guarantees consistent, perfect results every time.

Beyond its incredible taste and ease, there’s something charmingly nostalgic about this salad. The vibrant greens, the golden eggs, and the rustic bacon create a visually appealing dish that evokes a cheery, retro sensibility.

The Power of Key Ingredients: Why This Salad Shines

Each component of this bacon, egg, and spinach salad plays a vital role, not just in flavor but also in nutrition and texture. Let’s delve into why these ingredients are a match made in culinary heaven:

Baby Spinach: The Green Foundation

Baby spinach is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron and antioxidants. Its tender texture makes it ideal for salads, absorbing dressings beautifully without becoming soggy. Opting for pre-washed baby spinach is a time-saver, ensuring your leaves are clean and ready to go. If you use fresh spinach from the market, remember to wash and dry it thoroughly to prevent a watery dressing and ensure optimal adhesion.

Crispy Bacon: A Savory Delight

Bacon adds an irresistible smoky, salty, and utterly crispy element that contrasts wonderfully with the tender spinach and creamy eggs. Cooking it until golden brown and perfectly crisp releases its full flavor and creates a delightful crunch. For the best results, cook bacon slowly over medium heat to render the fat properly, resulting in uniform crispiness.

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs: Protein and Creaminess

Eggs are a fantastic source of high-quality protein and essential vitamins. When perfectly hard-boiled, they offer a creamy, satisfying texture that complements the other ingredients. The method described in this recipe ensures your yolks are cooked through but not chalky, and the whites are firm but tender, making them easy to peel and a joy to eat.

Sunflower Seeds: The Nutty Crunch

A sprinkle of sunflower seeds adds a delightful textural contrast and a subtle nutty flavor. They are also a great source of healthy fats, vitamin E, and magnesium, boosting the nutritional value of the salad. For an even deeper flavor, you can lightly toast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet before adding them to the salad.

Mustard Miso Vinaigrette: The Umami Secret

This dressing is what truly sets this salad apart. Whole grain mustard provides a piquant tang and delightful texture, while miso paste — a fermented soybean paste — introduces an incredible depth of savory umami. This combination creates a balanced vinaigrette that is both bright and rich, cutting through the richness of the bacon and complementing the freshness of the spinach. The umami from the miso enhances all other flavors in the dish, making each bite more complex and satisfying.

Beyond the Salad: Creative Uses for Hard-Boiled Eggs

Got a few extra hard-boiled eggs? Don’t let them go to waste! They’re incredibly versatile. Here are some other delightful ways to use them:

Creamy Egg and Quinoa Bake

Springtime Egg and Chive Pasta Salad

Eiersalat – German Egg Salad with Apples & Pickles

Ham ‘n Egg Salad with Flax Crackers

Classic Pickled Eggs

Turmeric Pickled Eggs

Bacon, Egg and Spinach Salad with Mustard Miso Vinaigrette Recipe

This recipe is designed for ease and maximum flavor, making it a perfect addition to your weekly meal rotation. Enjoy the satisfying crunch of bacon, the creaminess of eggs, and the freshness of spinach, all brought together by an irresistible dressing.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz (142gm) package pre-washed baby spinach leaves
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted sunflower seeds
• 8 slices bacon, cut crosswise in half
• 4 large eggs
• 4 (or more) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered for garnish

For the Mustard Miso Vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (Dijon also works well for a smoother dressing)
• 1½ tablespoons white miso paste (light miso)
• 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar for a slightly sweeter tang)
• 1 tablespoon water (to thin the dressing to desired consistency)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Bacon:

Begin by frying the bacon. Arrange the bacon half-slices in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook them slowly, turning occasionally, until they are beautifully golden brown and delightfully crisp. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat, ensuring maximum crispiness. Reserve some bacon fat for other cooking if desired, or discard responsibly.

2. Boil the Eggs to Perfection:

While the bacon is frying, place the eggs carefully into a saucepan. Cover them with cold water, ensuring the water level is about ½ inch above the eggs. Bring the water to a full rolling boil over medium heat. Once boiling vigorously, immediately remove the saucepan from the burner, cover it tightly with a lid, and set a timer for precisely 10 minutes. It’s crucial not to lift the lid during this steeping period, as the trapped heat cooks the eggs gently and evenly.

3. Prepare the Mustard Miso Vinaigrette:

During the bacon frying and egg cooking, prepare your flavorful dressing. Measure all the vinaigrette ingredients – olive oil, whole grain mustard, miso paste, white wine vinegar, water, and freshly ground pepper – into a small bowl or a measuring cup. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is creamy smooth and completely emulsified, with no visible lumps of miso. This quick and simple dressing is the key to the salad’s unique appeal.

4. Cool and Peel the Eggs:

Once the 10-minute steeping time for the eggs is complete, carefully drain the hot water from the saucepan. Immediately transfer the saucepan to the sink and cover the eggs with cold running water. Allow the cold water to flow into the pot for a minute or two, ensuring the eggs cool down quickly and thoroughly. This rapid cooling helps prevent a greenish ring around the yolk and makes peeling significantly easier. Remove the eggs from the water one by one and gently crack their shells all over against a hard surface. Return them to the cold water for a few more minutes; the water seeps under the cracks, assisting in a clean peel. Refresh the water if it warms up. Peel the cooled eggs and then quarter them lengthwise.

5. Assemble the Salad:

In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the pre-washed baby spinach leaves with the unsalted sunflower seeds. Drizzle the prepared mustard miso vinaigrette evenly over the spinach and sunflower seeds. Toss everything well to ensure every leaf and seed is lightly coated with the flavorful dressing.

6. Serve and Garnish:

Divide the dressed spinach and sunflower seed mixture equally among four individual salad plates. Artfully arrange four bacon half-slices and four egg quarters on top of the vibrant greens on each plate. Finally, garnish each serving with one or two cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, for a burst of color and fresh flavor.

Serve this delightful salad immediately to enjoy the crispness of the bacon and the freshness of the greens. It pairs wonderfully with a hearty loaf of rustic bread or the aforementioned Irish Cheese Toasties for an even more satisfying meal.

Serves 4

Guten Appetit!

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You might also like these refreshing salad ideas:

Quinoa Crunch Salad

Poppyseed, Pomegranate and Pear Salad

Simple Tuna Salad

Chili-Lime Jicama Salad

Apple Cider Vinaigrette