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I have had the pleasure of dining at Pot Roast and Pinot, my new favorite foodie spot in Pensacola, twice now. Both times I have ordered their fantastic Spinach Salad, which is tossed in a delicious Hot Bacon Mustard Vinaigrette. The dressing alone is enough for me to eat every bite {and lick the plate!} but then they top it with tart apples, crunchy onions, fresh tomato, soft goat cheese, candied walnuts, and finally a perfectly poached egg. Can you say perfection on a plate?
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Today I am sharing the restaurant’s popular Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Mustard Vinaigrette recipe. I remade their recipe at home and I am proud to say it turned out great! This beautiful dish came out almost identical to the dish I received at the restaurant! When dining at Pot Roast and Pinot, we ordered this salad to share as a second course but at home I made this as our meal. Although Ashton and I are both proud members of the Clean Plate Club, this was a hearty plateful for each of us but in the end we pulled through and ate every bite {and didn’t eat again for 24 hrs!}.
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Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Mustard Vinaigrette and Candied Walnuts
Makes 2 entree salads
Ingredients
- 2 eggs soft poached (read how to poach an egg here)
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbled
- 1/2 small red onion sliced in thin rings
- 2 Roma tomatoes sliced into wedges
- 4-5 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup thick croutons
- 1/2 cup Hot Bacon Vinaigrette
Hot Bacon Vinaigrette:
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 pkg bacon about 8 slices
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dry mustard
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- For the vinaigrette: bring all ingredients together in a deep saucepan to a boil.
- In a small bowl, make a slurry by whisking together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water and slowly whisking into vinaigrette to thicken.
- Serve dressing warm and keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge.
- To make candied walnuts: in a skillet melt butter and mix in brown sugar.
- Add walnuts and cook over medium, stirring for a couple minutes until toasted and coated. Remove from heat.
- To plate salad: place a few handfuls of spinach on a plate (about 2 cups). Top with a sprinkling of walnuts, cheese, croutons, sliced onions, 4 wedges of tomato, and about 5 thin slices of apple on the side.
- Top with a poached egg in the center and drizzle on the Hot Bacon Vinaigrette.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Pot Roast and Pinot.
Did you make this Recipe?Tag @flchefnicole or hashtag #fortheloveoffoodblog
For The Love of Food Blog
I used 1 large red onion and diced half for the vinaigrette and sliced the rest for the salad.
Cook bacon until crisp, drain, then chop.
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To make the vinaigrette mix all ingredients together in a saucepan until they come to a boil.
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Make a slurry in a bowl with 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1//4 cup water. Whisk into vinaigrette and simmer until slightly thickened.
Candied Walnuts are simple!
Melt butter in a skillet, add brown sugar and chopped walnuts. Stir and toast until coated, about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
Slice tomatoes and apples right before serving.
Toss apples in lemon juice to prevent browning.
Poach eggs and trim to a perfect circle. See my recipe for poaching eggs here.
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You can use goat cheese crumbles or a log of soft goat cheese. I prefer this kind so I can break off chunks for thicker pieces and a more rustic look.
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Look at this chunky, flavor packed dressing! Mouth watering yet?
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Plate your salad with a couple cups of baby spinach then top with walnuts, cheese, onions, tomatoes, apples, and a poached egg.
Drizzle the Hot Bacon Vinaigrette on top.
Ready to serve and devour!
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You have got to try this salad {at home or at Pot Roast and Pinot} today.
It will knock your sock off and please your taste buds!
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