Fresh spinach topped with crisp bacon and crumbled goat cheese. A bold walnut, mustard, and red wine vinegar vinaigrette brings acidity, fat, and roundness. Quick, punchy, and built on real texture contrast.
Wash the spinach and dry it very well; if it stays wet, the vinaigrette slides off and the salad goes flat. Thinly slice the red onion and crumble the feta cheese into irregular pieces.
Brown the smoked bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until crisp and rendered. Move it onto paper towels and reserve one spoonful of the warm fat for the vinaigrette.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Finely chop half of the toasted walnuts. Whisk the red wine vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper; slowly add the olive oil and the warm bacon fat. The vinaigrette should be glossy, acidic, and full-bodied.
Toss the spinach with the red onion and vinaigrette right before serving. Finish with the bacon, feta cheese, and the remaining toasted walnuts on top so the crunch does not disappear.
