Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta + Goat Cheese is a steakhouse inspired spinach salad that's great as a starter or main course! Simple to make, with a short ingredient list and still so much flavor. Hearty spinach leaves, crisp red onions, creamy goat cheese and meaty bits of pancetta tossed in a tangy, mustardy vinaigrette. Serve it alongside a steak or with a crispy fried egg for a salad that's super satisfying and crazy delicious!
As much as I love cooking, I love going out to eat even more (no dishes!). So many of my recipes are inspired by the foods I eat while dining out, and this one is no exception.
There's a local restaurant here in Atlantic City called the Knife and Fork that serves a salad similar to this one and I've been making it at home for as long as I can remember. It's so simple, yet so good, and making it at home allows me to customize the flavors and make it exactly how I like it.
This spinach salad isn't too far off from the old-school steakhouse classic - with the warm bacon dressing and all - but it's definitely modernized and simplified. Like the Knife and Fork, I use pancetta, which is an Italian, unsmoked bacon with lots of black pepper and tang. It adds meatiness and texture to the salad, not to mention a ton of flavor since the rendered fat is also used to make the dressing. The other ingredients are simple - spinach (obvi), creamy goat cheese and thinly sliced red onions, plus the other usual vinaigrette suspects like shallots, Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar.
This salad makes a great starter or side, especially if serving a meaty dinner like steak, pork chops or roasted chicken. I also like having it as an entree with some grilled chicken or salmon on top. It's also fantastic with a poached, soft boiled or crispy fried egg, as the runny yolk will mix in and create an even more luxurious dressing.
Tips for Making Warm Spinach Salad
- You can absolutely use American style smoked bacon here in place of the pancetta if you'd like. It will have a slightly different flavor, but will still be really good!
- If you prefer to use turkey bacon or a plant based vegan substitute, you will need to supplement the vinaigrette with more oil since you won't have any rendered pork fat. This salad can still be delicious either way!
- Depending on the pancetta or bacon you use, you may have more or less fat than what's needed for the vinaigrette. Taste the dressing and adjust it to your liking - add more mustard and vinegar if you'd like it a bit sharper or drizzle in a little olive oil if you need to mellow it out.
- Don't like raw onions? Slice them as thinly as possible, then soak them in cold water for 5-10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, then use in the recipe. You'll still get the crunch and flavor without the intense heat.
- This salad is meant to be served warm and unfortunately isn't as good at room temperature or cold because it's made with rendered pancetta or bacon fat, which hardens at room temperature and is very unappealing.
- To keep the salad warm, place your plates in a low oven for a few minutes before serving and make sure you serve the salad immediately after making.
- Don't skimp on the freshly cracked black pepper. It's especially good here!
One Year Ago: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Celery Root Puree | Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies | 20 Minute Spicy Carrot Soup with Yogurt + Sesame (gluten free and vegan friendly!)
Two Years Ago: Croissant Morning Buns
Three Years Ago: Cauliflower Crust Pizzas with Lemony Kale + Fresh Mozz | Brussels Sprouts with Anchovy Caper Butter | Dijon Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
Four Years Ago: Homemade Vinaigrette (with 10 different variations!) | Lasagne Bolognese | Truffled Popcorn with Parmesan + Prosciutto
Five Years Ago: Celery Root + Parsnip Gratin
Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta + Goat Cheese
Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta + Goat Cheese is a steakhouse inspired spinach salad that's great as a starter or main course! Simple to make, with a short ingredient list and still so much flavor. Hearty spinach leaves, crisp red onions, creamy goat cheese and meaty bits of pancetta tossed in a tangy, mustardy vinaigrette. Serve it alongside a steak or with a crispy fried egg for a salad that's super satisfying and crazy delicious!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Category: salad
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce package baby spinach, long stems removed if desired
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into thick chunks *see note
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste, plus more freshly cracked black pepper for serving
- extra virgin olive oil, as needed **see note
Instructions
- Add spinach and red onions to a large bowl.
- Place the pancetta in a medium saute pan, then place over medium heat and toss around until it starts to give up its fat. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the pancetta is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the shallots to the pan and cook until they just start to soften, about 1 minute.
- Add the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, then lower the heat and whisk until emulsified. Taste for seasoning and add more olive oil or vinegar if needed.
- pour dressing over the spinach and toss until evenly coated. Add the crumbled goat cheese and reserved pancetta, then toss until evenly distributed.
- Serve immediately with more freshly cracked black pepper on top.
Notes
- *If you prefer to use turkey bacon or a plant based vegan substitute, you will need to supplement the vinaigrette with more oil since you won't have any rendered pork fat. This salad can still be delicious either way!
- **Depending on the pancetta or bacon you use, you may have more or less fat than what's needed for the vinaigrette. Taste the dressing and adjust it to your liking - add more mustard and/or vinegar if you'd like it a bit sharper or drizzle in a little olive oil if you need to mellow it out.
- Try it with a poached, soft boiled or crispy fried egg on top!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 476
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 2082.3 mg
- Fat: 41.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.7 g
- Protein: 18.4 g
- Cholesterol: 59.3 mg
Cindy
Made this to accompany filet mignon and hasselback potatoes for my husband’s birthday...it was better than a salad had any right to be 😉 Made it a second time and added strawberries....great recipe, thanks!