Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This spinach salad with black-eyed peas is a twist on one of my favorite culinary traditions: serving beans and greens on New Year's Day. Greens represent paper money and beans symbolize coins. Here I present these ingredients in salad form, which is a great delivery system for hot bacon dressing. Ingredients:
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips |
1/4 cup vegetable oil |
1/2 cup minced onion |
1 pinch salt |
2 cloves garlic, minced |
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar |
1/4 cup rice vinegar |
1/2 cup water |
1/2 cup white sugar |
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard |
1/3 cup bacon drippings |
2 teaspoons water |
1 teaspoon cornstarch |
1 pinch cayenne pepper |
salt and ground black pepper to taste |
1 pound baby spinach leaves |
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained |
12 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced |
1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes |
Directions:
1. Cook and stir bacon with 1/4 cup vegetable in a skillet over medium heat until bacon is browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour bacon into a strainer set over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup of bacon drippings.
2. Return skillet to medium heat. Stir onions and salt into the skillet; cook and stir until onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and golden, 1 minute.
3. Stir cider vinegar, rice vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and Dijon mustard into onion mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer.
4. Whisk 2 teaspoons water and cornstarch in a bowl. Gradually pour cornstarch mixture into onion mixture and whisk until thickened. 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Drizzle reserved 1/3 cup bacon drippings into onion mixture, whisking constantly. Add cooked bacon and stir to combine. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste.
6. Combine spinach, black-eyed peas, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl; toss to combine. Drizzle hot bacon dressing over spinach mixture; toss quickly and serve immediately.
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