Chart House Spinach Salad (Copycat)

The warm bacon dressing is what sets this spinach salad apart. It hits the spinach and wilts the leaves just enough to soften them, while the crispy bacon, tender mushrooms, and grated eggs add a mix of textures you don't get from a typical side salad. This copycat recipe brings that Chart House experience home with ingredients you likely already have.

Three Reasons to Make This Spinach Salad with Bacon

• The warm dressing wilts the spinach slightly, making it tender without turning soggy.
• Grated hard-boiled eggs melt into the salad, adding a creamy richness that balances the tangy vinegar.
• It's a hearty salad that works as a main dish or a side, especially with the bacon and mushrooms.

Key Ingredients for This Chart House Spinach Salad Copycat

• Bacon: Provides smoky flavor and the drippings that form the base of the warm dressing. Use thick-cut bacon for more meaty texture. You can substitute turkey bacon, but you'll need to add a little oil to the skillet to replace the drippings.
• Spinach: Use fresh, young leaves. Baby spinach is convenient and tender. Avoid mature spinach with thick stems. Wash and dry thoroughly before using.
• Sweet pickle relish: Adds a touch of sweetness and tang that balances the vinegar. If you don't have it, finely chop a dill pickle and add a pinch of sugar.

Kitchen Tools for Making This Spinach Salad

• A large skillet for cooking the bacon and sautéing the mushrooms and onions.
• A mixing bowl for combining the dressing ingredients.
• A grater for shredding the hard-boiled eggs.
• A salad spinner or paper towels for drying the spinach.
• An airtight container for storing the dressing.

Tips for Perfecting This Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

• Use fresh, tender spinach. Baby spinach saves you the step of removing tough stems and wilts beautifully.
• When you add the dressing to the skillet with the mushrooms and onions, let it come to a full boil. This helps the flavors meld and slightly thickens the dressing.
• Grate the eggs on a medium grater so they sprinkle evenly. A fine grater turns them to powder, and a coarse one leaves large chunks.
• Don't overdress the salad. Start with the 1 cup of dressing called for, and add more only if you like it extra tangy.

Expert Tips for a Restaurant-Quality Spinach Salad

The balance of sweet and tangy in the dressing comes from the combination of sweet pickle relish and capers. The relish adds a touch of sweetness that rounds out the sharp red wine vinegar, while the capers bring a briny pop. Don't skip them.

To get the best texture from the spinach, make sure it's thoroughly dried after washing. Excess water will dilute the dressing and make the salad watery. A salad spinner works best, but patting with paper towels also does the job.

Variations to Try for This Spinach Salad Recipe

• Add grilled chicken or shrimp for a protein-packed main dish.
• Swap the spinach for arugula or mixed greens for a different flavor.
• Use turkey bacon or omit the bacon for a vegetarian version. If you skip the bacon, replace the drippings with olive oil.
• Add sliced red onion or bell pepper for extra crunch.

What to Serve with This Hearty Spinach Salad

Toppings to Try

• Extra crumbled bacon for more smoky crunch.
• A sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper.
• Sliced cherry tomatoes for a pop of color and acidity.

Side Dishes to Serve

• Crusty bread to soak up the extra dressing.
• Grilled chicken breast to turn it into a full meal.
• A light soup like tomato or minestrone.

How to Store Leftover Dressing and Salad Components

The dressing keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before using it again, let it come to room temperature or warm it gently in a saucepan, but don't let it boil for long or the oil may separate.

The assembled salad is best served immediately, but you can prep the components ahead. Wash and dry the spinach, grate the eggs, cook the bacon, and sauté the mushrooms and onions. Store each separately in the fridge, then toss everything together with the warm dressing right before serving.

Source recipe: Chart House Spinach Salad (Copycat) (SnapChef ID 67badb34-fb5c-4c1e-be25-a8b7cb908efb). Nutrition is estimated per serving.

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Chart House Spinach Salad (Copycat)

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

30 min

Servings

8 servings

Calories

169 kcal

Scale: 1x2x3x · − 8 servings +

US Metric

Cook Mode

Ingredients

Copy list

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped capers
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach
• 1/4 pound chopped bacon
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

Directions

1. 1
   In a mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, mustard powder, pickle relish, and capers. Add the vegetable oil and olive oil and mix well. Store the dressing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
2. 2
   Grate the eggs on a medium-sized grater. Cover and set aside.
3. 3
   Wash the spinach and remove any tough stems. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Then transfer to a large bowl.
4. 4
   Sauté the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and sprinkle it over the spinach.
5. 5
   Add the onions and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté in the remaining bacon drippings until tender. Add 1 cup of the prepared dressing to the skillet and bring to a boil.
6. 6
   Pour the contents of the skillet over the spinach and toss. Garnish with the grated eggs and serve with additional dressing.

Tap a step number to check it off as you cook.

Nutrition Facts per serving · estimated

Amount per serving

Calories 169 kcal 8% DV

Protein 7 g 14% DV

Total Fat 12 g 15% DV

Total Carb. 7 g 3% DV

Fiber 2 g 7% DV

Sugars 3 g

Sodium 631 mg 27% DV

% Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet (FDA).