Stop shelling out a small fortune for bottled salad dressings! Not only are they ridiculously expensive but they contain insane amounts of chemical additives and preservatives that are not good for you. You can easily make your own salad dressings at home in just a few quick minutes that taste better than anything you get in a bottle at the market. Not only is this healthy Spinach salad with an easy to make, delicious dressing, but it’s topped with bacon infused croutons that provide a delightful smoky crunch. Shut the front door! Bacon infused croutons? Yes you read that right, bacon infused croutons…oh my!
Start by cooking up the bacon. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy and golden brown.
Drain cooked bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
For the bacon infused croutons:
Cut sliced sourdough bread into half inch cubes. Add the cubed sour dough bread to the bacon fat left in the skillet from frying the bacon and toss to coat them with the bacon fat.
Cook, tossing croutons frequently, until golden brown and crisp.
Remove croutons from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.
For the creamy vinaigrette dressing:
Place apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a glass jar.
Using an immersion blender combine ingredients together.
With the blender running, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream to the other ingredients in the jar to emulsify.
Add grated parmesan cheese to the jar.
Screw the lid onto the jar and shake the jar vigorously to combine the Parmesan cheese with all the ingredients.
For the salad:
Place spinach leaves, sliced red onions and tomatoes in a large bowl.
TIP: For the best flavor, use vine ripened tomatoes, cherry or beefsteak tomatoes are the best.
Toss with the creamy vinaigrette. Adjust the amount of dressing to suit your taste.
To serve:
Place a mound of the spinach/tomato/onion salad on each plate and top with a sprinkle of the cooked crumbled bacon and a handful of the bacon infused croutons. Finish off with a few grinds of black pepper.
Optional: Add shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish if desired.
NOTE: Store any excess dressing in the jar with the lid on, refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
This creamy salad dressing has just the right amount of tanginess that compliments just about any meal you serve. It’s economical, using ingredients you probably have in the fridge right now. It’s loads less expensive than any of the bottled versions at the market, and since you are making it you know exactly what’s in it. No nasty preservatives or added chemicals in this dressing. Just wholesome good for you ingredients. All topped with bacon infused, crispy croutons…oh my! It’s quick and easy to make; and the perfect compliment to all your favorite meals. Whip up a batch of the dressing so you have it on hand, ready to go anytime you want to round out a meal with a delicious salad.
Creamy Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Equipment
- wide mouth glass jar with tight fitting lid
- immersion blender
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 6 cups spinach leaves
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
For the bacon croutons:
- 2 slices sour dough bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 tbsp bacon fat
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- shaved Parmesan cheese, optional garnish
Instructions
- Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy and golden brown.
- Drain cooked bacon on a paper towel lined plate.
- Crumble bacon, and set aside.
For the bacon infused croutons:
- Cut sliced sourdough bread into half inch cubes.
- Add the cubed sour dough bread to the bacon fat left in the skillet from frying the bacon and toss to coat with the bacon fat.
- Cook, tossing croutons frequently, until golden brown and crisp.
- Remove croutons from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.
For the creamy vinaigrette dressing:
- Place apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a glass jar.
- Using an immersion blender combine ingredients together.
- With the blender running, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream to the other ingredients in the jar to emulsify.
- Add parmesan cheese to the jar.
- Screw on lid and shake to combine the Parmesan cheese with all the ingredients.
For the salad:
- Place spinach leaves, sliced red onions and tomatoes in a large bowl.
- Toss with the creamy vinaigrette. Adjust the amount of dressing to suit your taste.
To serve:
- Place a mound of the spinach/tomato/onion salad on each plate and top with a sprinkle of the cooked crumbled bacon and a handful of the bacon infused croutons.
- Optional: Add shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish if desired.
Notes
Did You Make This?
Be sure to snap a pic and tag it #naturewayblog I love, love, love hearing from my readers! Please, don’t forget to leave a comment and a review below, and be sure to follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, TELEGRAM or TWITTER for all the latest happening here at Nature Way!
May I ask a small favor? If you enjoyed this blogpost would you be so kind and like the page? Just click the “like” button down at the very bottom, at the end of the post. It lets me know what you are enjoying the most. It also helps me focus my attention on creating content that will be most meaningful and beneficial to you, my readers. And don’t forget to subscribe:
When you sign up you’ll never miss out on all the latest that’s happening here at Nature Way. I promise to never spam you, ever! Cross my heart. Thank you and God bless!
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!