What Types of Salad Dressings Are Good on Spinach?

Add an equally flavorful salad dressing to a bold spinach salad before eating.

Spinach leaves require a bold salad dressing to compete with their rich flavor. Light Italian dressings might pair well with thin leaves of romaine, but such lightweight concoctions will slip from the thick spinach leaves. When preparing a spinach salad, opt for a full-flavored, dense salad dressing to match the distinctive flavor and texture of the spinach.

Honey Mustard Dressing

The sweet and pungent taste of honey mustard dressing pairs well with spinach salads using sweet and tangy fruits such as mandarin oranges or strawberries. Dijon mustard is milder than its bright yellow American condiment cousin. Variations on honey mustard dressing abound, but it basically requires Dijon mustard and honey to be whisked into a vinaigrette dressing. If available, use a honey in the dressing that comes from the fruit used in the salad. For instance, opt for an orange blossom honey with its slight citrus flavor for a salad with orange segments. Specialty honeys are available in supermarkets with the jams and jellies, at local farmers markets or on the Internet.

Warm Bacon Dressing

Warm dressings for spinach salads slightly wilt the leaves. Since bacon must be cooked before serving, making a warm spinach dressing with the bacon and bacon grease is a natural pairing. To keep the spinach from getting soggy, make the dressing and toss it with the spinach leaves just before serving. Look for recipes for warm bacon dressing on the Internet or in cookbooks. Celebrity chef Alton Brown uses bacon grease instead of oil for the vinaigrette base of the dressing. He then adds Dijon mustard and sugar for sweetness to counter the richness of the bacon. Serve the warm bacon dressing tossed with fresh spinach leaves and topped with sliced boiled eggs and sliced button mushrooms.

Creamy Herb Dressing

Dense spinach leaves hold up well to a heavy creamy dressing. Thin mayonnaise with milk or buttermilk to make a pourable dressing. Add herbs and spices of your choice. Dried dill weed and minced onions are one combination. Mix in poppy seeds for a creamy poppy seed dressing. Chopped tomatoes, garlic powder and dried basil add an Italian flair to the salad, especially if the spinach is tossed with Parmesan or shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix the dressing the night before so the flavors develop and meld.

Garlic Vinaigrette

Instead of a bottled Italian dressing or plain vinaigrette made with only oil and vinegar, try a pungent garlic vinaigrette dressing with your spinach salad. Use garlic powder for the most potent kick of garlic flavor. Roast whole garlic cloves and crush them before adding to the vinaigrette for a more mellow, slightly sweet flavor. Adding a touch of honey will also balance out the pungency of the garlic. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a skillet to slightly warm them, and toss the spinach leaves into the skillet to toss. This will warm the spinach without cooking it. Like other warm salad dressings, this is best made and added to the spinach just before serving.

References

• Taste of Home: Tomato Spinach Salad Recipe with Creamy Dill Dressing
• What's Cooking America: Spinach Salad with Strawberries
• Food Network: Alton Brown's Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing
• Chow: Spinach Salad With Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

Resources

• Epicurious: Spinach Salad Recipes