This delicious spinach salad recipe is loaded with texture and flavor and finished with a sweet and tangy dressing. Hearty enough to serve as a main, it’s easy and quick to make.

spinach bacon salad with spinach salad dressing in white bowl

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Spinach Salad

I know that you guys are going to love this tasty spinach salad! Loaded with fresh veggies, boiled eggs, crispy bacon and croutons it’s a delicious way to get some goodness in!

This isn’t your normal boring salad, it’s got a lot of texture and the vinaigrette dressing has just the right amount of sweetness to make this irresistible!

Be sure to check out my Zesty Panzanella Salad and Peruvian Chopped Salad recipes too!

Why you’ll love this Spinach Salad recipe:

  • Quick: It takes no more than 15 minutes to make this salad and dressing and you just need a few simple ingredients.
  • Make ahead: You can easily make the salad and dressing ahead of time for an easy to serve meal.
  • Versatile: I like to serve this as an easy main dish as it’s well balanced and hearty, but you can easily serve smaller portions for a side or appetizer.
side shot of spinach salad with bacon and hard boiled egg in white bowl
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spinach bacon salad with spinach salad dressing in white bowl

How to make spinach salad and dressing

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

  • Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
  • Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
  • Add the dressing and toss to serve.

Can you make it ahead of time?

Yes, this is a great make ahead dish! The salad dressing can be made 4 to 5 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge and the spinach salad can be prepared a day ahead and kept covered.

Add the dressing just before serving so that nothing gets soft.

What do you serve it with?

I like to serve this salad by itself, but you can also pair smaller portions with mains. It works especially well with seafood and chicken dishes. try it with:

side shot of spinach salad with bacon and hard boiled egg in white bowl
up close image of spinach salad in bowl with wooden spoons

Recipe Variations

This spinach salad is pretty good as it is, but you can easily add other veggies and salad ingredients to it. To make it extra special, try topping it with:

  • Crumbled or shredded cheese
  • Honey Roasted Pecans
  • Chopped celery
  • Frozen baby peas

This dish is also easy to adapt to fit with dietary needs:

  • Make it vegetarian: Omit the bacon.
  • Make it vegan: Omit the bacon and eggs.
  • Make it gluten-free: Omit the croutons.

Tips!

  • Alternate instructions for the dressing: Add all to a blender and mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
  • To make the spinach salad 1 day ahead: Prepare and refrigerate all salad ingredients and dressing separately. When ready to serve, place ingredients in a large serving bowl and add just enough dressing. Toss gently and serve.
  • Salad Dressing yield: about ¾ cup dressing
up close image of spinach salad in bowl with wooden spoons

This spinach and bacon salad is just so delicious! It’s a great dinner salad for summer (or any season), and it’s a good side dish too. Healthy, filling, and and flavorful!

More Salad Recipes

We love a great salad! Try these favorites:

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Recipe Card

Spinach Salad with Spinach Salad Dressing

4.74 from 15 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Becky Hardin
spinach bacon salad with spinach salad dressing in white bowl
This delicious spinach salad recipe is loaded with texture and flavor and finished with a sweet and tangy dressing. Hearty enough to serve as a main, it's easy and quick to make.
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Ingredients 

For the Spinach Salad:

  • 1 pound thin-sliced bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
  • 8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves trimmed of stems
  • 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
  • ½ small red onion thinly sliced
  • 4-6 hard boiled eggs peeled & thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-2 cups croutons homemade or store bought (see link for homemade)
  • cups sliced fresh tomatoes

Optional Ingredients:

  • Crumbled or shredded cheese
  • Honey Roasted Pecans
  • Chopped celery
  • Frozen baby peas

For the Spinach Salad Dressing:

  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground mustard
  • ½ teaspoon granulated toasted onion
  • 4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons mild molasses
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh

Instructions 

For the Spinach Salad:

  • Add all ingredients (except croutons tomatoes) in a large serving bowl and keep refrigerated.
  • When ready to serve, add croutons and tomatoes, and toss gently with just enough dressing to very lightly coat the salad ingredients. (If making 1 day ahead, see *Note below.)
  • Serve immediately and enjoy!

For the Spinach Salad Dressing:

  • Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate, in an airtight container, at least 2 hours before serving. (The dressing tastes even better if allowed to refrigerate overnight.)
  • Whisk well before using.

Becky’s Tips

  • Alternate instructions for the dressing: Add all to a blender and mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
  • To make the salad 1 day ahead: Prepare and refrigerate all salad ingredients and dressing separately. When ready to serve, place ingredients in a large serving bowl and add just enough dressing. Toss gently and serve.
  • Salad Dressing yield: about ¾ cup dressing
Calories: 506kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 16gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 902mgPotassium: 596mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4056IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.74 from 15 votes (14 ratings without comment)
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Elizabeth
Elizabeth
July 8, 2024 3:39 pm

I really want to make this salad, but what is “granulated toasted onion” and where do I find it? Is it like granulated garlic which I have? Thanks!

Samantha Marceau
July 9, 2024 9:10 am
Reply to  Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth, it’s just like granulated garlic but it has been toasted. Brands like Penzeys, Spice House, and Burlap & Barrel carry it, but you could also use regular (untoasted) granulated onion.

Elizabeth
Elizabeth
July 13, 2024 4:53 pm

Thanks!

Simone
Simone
October 29, 2022 3:19 am

Beautiful salad – the dressing is amazing!5 stars

Courtney Minor
November 1, 2022 1:43 pm
Reply to  Simone

Happy you enjoyed it, Simone!

Stephanie
Stephanie
September 4, 2022 5:38 pm

I am about to make this for the first time as a “make ahead” for lunch box. I would like to add pomegrant or grapes to it … can anyone yea or nay on this idea? Would one work better than the other or a different fruit? Skip any kind of fruit, tomatoes are enough? TIA!

Samantha Marceau
September 6, 2022 9:10 am
Reply to  Stephanie

Feel free to add whatever you like! Both of those sound delicious!