Fresh baby spinach, hard boiled eggs, crispy bacon bits, juicy tomatoes & red onion all tossed in a tangy red wine vinaigrette! This is one salad you have to try!
I’m about to make a bold move and say this is THE BEST SPINACH SALAD! There…I’ve said it. Save it, write it down, send it to all your family and friends because this spinach salad with bacon and hard boiled eggs is where it’s at! Crispy salty bacon bits, creamy hard boiled eggs, juicy plump tomatoes and a zesty homemade dressing to tie is all together. Ohhhh it doesn’t get any better than that!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Baby spinach: You should only need one bag of fresh baby spinach for this salad recipe.
Hard boiled eggs: You can hard boil your eggs a few days in advance to make this salad even easier!
Bacon: Use real bacon for the best results! (Store bought bacon bits can be used as a replacement but they won’t have the same crunchy tecture.)
Tomatoes: Use cherry or grape tomatoes for the best results. (They have the best flavor!)
Onion: Red onion works the best for this recipe. It’s a little sweeter than white or yellow onion and doesn’t have a harsh “onion” flavor.
Avocado: You’ll need one large avocado for this recipe!
Red wine vinaigrette: Made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, dried dill & a splash of water!
How To Make A Spinach Bacon & Egg Salad
1. Cook & cool your bacon. Cut your bacon into bite sized pieces and heat it in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it’s browned and bubbling then transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel. Discard the leftover bacon grease and let your bacon cool completely.
2. Hard boil your eggs. Cook your eggs using your favorite hard boiling technique then place them in the fridge to cool completely.
3. Make your dressing. Whisk all your dressing ingredients together or add them to a salad dressing bottle and shake.
4. Prepare the rest of your ingredients. Thinly slice your onion, slice your tomatoes in half and dice your avocado.
5. Toss & serve! Place your spinach in a bowl then add your tomatoes, red onion, chopped hard boiled egg and bacon bits. Drizzle your desired amount of dressing over the top and toss until your salad is fully coated. Serve immediately!
My Favorite Method For Hard Boiling Eggs
I’ve been hard boiling my eggs with this 10 minute method for as long as I can remember. It’s quick and easy and your eggs come out perfectly hard boiled every single time!
- Place the eggs in a pot and fill it with just enough water to cover them.
- Heat the pot over medium-high heat until the water starts to boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 3 minutes. When the timer goes off, pull the pot off the stove and cover it with lid. Let the pot sit for 10 minutes. Immediately remove your eggs from the pot and run them under cold water. (Alternatively, you can transfer the eggs to an ice bath instead. This is a faster way to stop the cooking process and keeps your eggs soft and tender.)
- Store your eggs in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.
Expert Tip: Use “older eggs” if possible – they’re easier to peel! We’ll usually buy our eggs 1 week before hard boiling them.
Variations
This spinach salad is pretty simple so we always love adding a few extra goodies to the mix. Here are our favorites:
- Sliced mushrooms
- Bean sprouts
- Chopped mini sweet peppers
- Cooked diced chicken – for extra protein!
FAQ’s
Do you cut up spinach for a salad? You shouldn’t need to for this salad. We’re using baby spinach leaves which are usually small enough to eat left as they are.
How long will hard boiled eggs stay good in the refrigerator? Your eggs should stay fresh up to 7 days.
Can I prep any ingredients beforehand? Yes! You can easily prep all your ingredients one day in advance. Keep them stored in separate containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.
Why you’ll love this spinach salad recipe!
- So much flavor! Crunchy bacon, hard boiled eggs, creamy avocado & fresh veggies + a tangy vinaigrette! What more could you want in a salad recipe?!
- The perfect side dish! This salad pairs so well with beef/steak, chicken, shrimp and so many other entrees! (Plus it’d be a great option for dinner parties too!)
- Great for for non-spinach lovers! I swear bacon makes everything taste better… And this salad is no exception! (It’s been known to turn a few spinach haters into spinach lovers.)
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments. I love seeing what you create!]
Spinach Salad with Bacon & Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced or diced
- 6 strips of bacon
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ of a small red onion, sliced thin
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
For the red wine vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup olive oil*
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp dried dill
Instructions
To make the vinaigrette:
- Whisk your vinaigrette ingredients together in a bowl or shake them in a jar. Then keep it stored in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of your salad.
To make the salad:
- Heat a pan over medium heat and cut your bacon into bite-size pieces.
- Once the pan is hot, add your bacon and cook until it's brown and crispy (about 10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Then transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool completely. Discard the bacon grease.
- Next add your spinach, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, onion and avocado to a bowl and pour your desired amount of dressing over the top.
- Toss the salad until it's fully coated then serve with your bacon bits sprinkled over the top.
