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Spinach Bacon Salad

5 from 8 votes
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posted: 04/10/19

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

My Spinach Bacon Salad is a family favorite recipe from my mom! The perfect recipe for big family functions and summer BBQs. It is made with my delicious homemade croutons and of course hard boiled eggs. If you need another great spinach salad for summer make my Strawberry Spinach Salad.

overhead view of spinach bacon salad with hard boiled eggs, croutons, water chestnuts in a white bowl

Last night as I watched my kids try to kill each other play, I thought of my mom. I was watching them, knowing that any second it was going to go from fun “rough housing” (that makes me feel epically old) to actual murder, and remembering my mom yelling at us saying, “One of you is going to get hurt!” and then when we were older “Just don’t kill each other!” and then when we were even older “Just don’t break my house!”

The struggle of motherhood is sometimes a little too real.

For the record, our evening did in fact end in tears, and once again it was proven that mothers know all and see all.

Reader Review

Husband and I loved it! 10/10 will do it again! Thanks

The Perfect Spinach Salad Recipe

Another time my mom knew all was in the making of this amazing spinach salad. This is a family favorite recipe that I grew up on. It was at all of our big family functions and became so synonymous with family holidays that after my mom passed away and I found this recipe in her cookbook, my sister in law was over joyed! She’d grown to love it too.

My mom’s hand written recipe is below. You can tell it’s been well loved. I just love her hand writing.

An overhead photo of a piece of paper with a spinach salad recipe and measuring spoons.

How Do You Make Spinach Salad Taste Good?

Well I’m so happy you asked. If you aren’t a big fan of spinach, I beg you to give this spinach bacon salad a go. The other ingredients that you add in combine perfectly. Then you top it with the most amazing spinach salad dressing that pulls it all together. My family always requests this at holidays and birthdays!

To make it taste perfect top it with these ingredients:

  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Water Chestnuts
  • Bean Sprouts (trust me)
  • Bacon
  • Homemade Croutons – if you don’t feel like making them, buy some, but these are super easy to make and last for weeks!
  • Spinach Salad Dressing
white bowl filled with spinach salad with bacon, hard boiled eggs, and croutons on a blue wood board

Spinach Salad Dressing

The dressing for this salad is pretty crucial. It is all the right flavor combinations to make this the perfect salad – it is the best spinach salad dressing! It is a combination of extra virgin olive oil, ketchup, Worcheschire sauce, sugar, vinegar, and a small onion. Seriously, this salad would not be what it is without this dressing.

As noted in the recipe below, grating an onion can be annoying. I would suggest dicing it, throwing it in a blender to cut it more fine, adding all the rest of the ingredients for the dressing, and then blending to combine.

woman's handing pouring a mason jar full of red spinach salad dressing onto a spinach bacon salad with hard boiled eggs and croutons in a white bowl

Where Do you Find Water Chestnuts and Bean Sprouts?

At my grocery store they are with the Asian food. Drain both well before adding them to the salad. If the bean sprouts make you nervous, just add a little, not the whole jar. But I really love them in this. And the water chestnuts add the most perfect crunch.

spinach salad with croutons and eggs in a white salad bowl topped with red spinach salad dressing

spinach salad with bacon and eggs in a white salad bowl on a wood board topped with the best spinach salad dressing

Can I Make this Spinach Bacon Salad Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can. I would suggest leaving out the croutons and leaving off the salad dressing. Toss the croutons in right before serving. Toss in a little spinach salad dressing and leave the rest on the side.

Other Great Summer BBQ Recipes

I love big recipes that you can bring to a family gathering or a potluck. I really need to make a big guide for this, but here are a bunch I love:

two hands holding a white salad bowl filled with the best spinach salad recipe
overhead view of spinach bacon salad with hard boiled eggs, croutons, water chestnuts in a white bowl
5 from 8 votes

Spinach Bacon Salad

Serves: 10 people
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
My Spinach Bacon Salad is a family favorite recipe from my mom!  The perfect recipe for big family functions and summer BBQs.  It is made with my delicious homemade croutons and of course hard boiled eggs. 

Ingredients

Spinach Salad Dressing

  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1 small white onion grated (see note)

Bacon Spinach Salad

  • 2 5 ounce bags baby spinach steams removed
  • 1 15 ounce can bean sprouts drained
  • 1 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts drained
  • 3 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 pound bacon cooked, and crumbled
  • 2 cups croutons

Instructions

  • To make the salad dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
  • Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large salad bowl.  Either add a small amount of dressing and toss to combine (adding the croutons after the dressing), or serve the dressing on the side.

Notes

Grating an onion can be time consuming and annoying.  I find it easier to dice the onion small and then add it to a food processor to mince it smaller and then adding the remaining dressing ingredients and processing until smooth.
Calories: 531kcal (27%) Carbohydrates: 34g (11%) Protein: 20g (40%) Fat: 35g (54%) Saturated Fat: 9g (56%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 114mg (38%) Sodium: 1168mg (51%) Potassium: 570mg (16%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 13g (14%) Vitamin A: 9200IU (184%) Vitamin C: 44.6mg (54%) Calcium: 100mg (10%) Iron: 4.3mg (24%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
overhead view of spinach bacon salad with hard boiled eggs, croutons, water chestnuts in a white bowl

did you make this

Spinach Bacon Salad

I’d love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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  1. averie @ averie cooks says

    Your mom’s handwriting is gorgeous! And yes mothers know and see all – before it happens generally.

    Pinned :)

    • Lisa Longley says

      Thank you, friend

  2. April says

    5 stars
    Husband and I loved it! 10/10 will do it again!
    Thanks

    • Lisa Longley says

      So glad to hear that!

  3. Tiffany Walker says

    What type of vinegar do you use on this salad dressing

    • Lisa Longley says

      Just plain white vinegar.

  4. Sherrie says

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! I was looking for my copy of this from my mother in. She has passed and I left my copy in her favorite recipies up at our cottage. So happy you posted it. It was a family favorite!

    • Lisa Longley says

      So glad to hear this Sherrie!

  5. Maria says

    5 stars
    I love your stories always so beautiful , thank you for sharing, and your delicious food. I made this one and many more all came delicious always! family like everything thank you!!!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I am so happy that you are enjoying my recipes so much. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!

  6. Marilyn says

    5 stars
    We loved the dressing! The second time I added some minced garlic and serrano pepper. My husband complains that his ears are going to grow if he has to eat too much veggies but he is already wanting this salad again!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so happy that you enjoy it!

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