The Best Gluten-Free Warm Spinach Salad Recipe Ever

Bright, tasty salads are perfect fare for the warmer summer weather. They satisfy, but don’t make you feel weighed down and this recipe for the best gluten-free warm spinach salad ever, ticks all the boxes. It’s full of flavour and textures and makes for the perfect summer side dish. Plus it’s a great way to work in some fresh spinach into your diet.

You can serve it alongside some roasted or grilled protein marinated in the best gluten-free steak marinade with BBQ onions and sweet potatoes. Or just enjoy it on its own with some toasted or grilled gluten-free bread brushed with garlic oil. Remember to adjust the quantities if eating it as a meal depending on the number of people being served.

The Best Gluten-Free Warm Spinach Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

For The Salad:

• 4 pieces of gluten-free low sodium bacon
• 5 cups chopped, cleaned fresh spinach
• 1/4 C packed or 1/2 C loose grated old yellow cheddar cheese (optional)

For The Dressing:

• Hot rendered fat from the bacon
• 1.5 tbs sugar
• 2.5 tbs white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbs oil (optional)

Directions:

• Cut the stems off of the spinach and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Wash and dry spinach well.

Tip: I like to triple wash my spinach to ensure it is very clean. If you buy washed spinach, still wash it again.

• Cook bacon until crisp.
• Lift bacon out of pan leaving the drippings from the bacon in the pan. Shut the pan off.
• Place bacon on a piece of paper towel on a plate, to cool and allow the excess fat from the bacon to be absorbed, by the paper towel.
• Grate cheddar cheese and set aside.
• When bacon is cooled crumble into small pieces.
• Place spinach in the bowl you’ll be serving it in, put most of the bacon and cheese in the spinach- leaving some aside for garnish. Toss salad so the bacon and cheddar is well distributed.
• Turn the pan with the bacon dripping on to a low heat.
• Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, make the dressing.
• Add the sugar to the fat and whisk to combine.
• Mix the vinegar into the bacon fat.
• If there doesn’t seem to be enough dressing to coat your spinach- add 1 tbs of oil to the dressing to make more.
• Add the pepper into the dressing and stir.
• Pour the warm dressing carefully over the spinach. And toss to coat the salad.
• Top the salad with the reserved cheese and bacon.

Tip: You can make the dressing earlier and leave it on off, on the stove and just warm it before you serve the salad. You want the hot dressing poured on the spinach at the last minute, so you can enjoy the warm slightly wilted spinach.

This recipe works well with tender baby spinach or just regular spinach. In fact, I made the one pictured, with spinach from my garden.

I hope this gluten-free warm spinach salad becomes one of your go-to favourites. Enjoy!

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The Best Gluten-Free Warm Spinach Salad Recipe Ever

Print Recipe/Tips

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

For The Salad:

• 4 pieces of gluten-free low sodium bacon
• 5 cups chopped, cleaned fresh spinach
• 1/4 C packed or 1/2 C loose grated old yellow cheddar cheese (optional)

For The Dressing:

• Hot rendered fat from the bacon
• 1.5 tbs sugar
• 2.5 tbs white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbs oil (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES/TIPS

• Cut the stems off of the spinach and cut into bite sized pieces.
• Wash and dry spinach well.
• Cook bacon until crisp.
• Lift bacon out of pan leaving the drippings from the bacon in the pan. Shut the pan off.
• Place bacon on a piece of paper towel on a plate, to cool and allow the excess fat from the bacon to be absorbed, by the paper towel.
• Grate cheddar cheese and set aside.
• When bacon is cooled crumble into small pieces.
• Place spinach in the bowl you’ll be serving it in, put most of the bacon and cheese in the spinach- leaving some aside for garnish. Toss salad so the bacon and cheddar is well distributed.
• Turn the pan with the bacon dripping on to a low heat.
• Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, make the dressing.
• Add the sugar to the fat and whisk to combine.
• Mix the vinegar into the bacon fat.
• If there doesn’t seem to be enough dressing to coat your spinach- add 1 tbs of oil to the dressing to make more.
• Add the pepper into the dressing and stir.
• Pour the warm dressing carefully over the spinach. And toss to coat the salad.
• Top the salad with the reserved cheese and bacon.

NOTES/TIPS

I like to triple wash my spinach to ensure it is very clean. If you buy washed spinach, still wash it again. You can make the dressing earlier and leave it on off, on the stove and just warm it before you serve the salad. You want the hot dressing poured on the spinach at the last minute, so you can enjoy the warm, slightly wilted spinach.

Did You Try This Recipe or These Tips?

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