Recipes › Spinach › Warm Spinach, Bacon and Soft-Boiled Egg Salad
Warm Spinach, Bacon and Soft-Boiled Egg Salad
A classic French bistro salad that earns its place at any table. A warm shallot and mustard vinaigrette is poured over a heap of fresh spinach, just wilting the leaves slightly without cooking them, then topped with crispy smoked bacon lardons and a perfectly runny soft-boiled egg. Simple, fast, and quietly brilliant.
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Ingredients
- 400 g fresh spinach, washed, dried thoroughly
- 200 g smoked bacon lardonsor use sliced smoked streaky bacon, cut into strips
- 4 eggs
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Contains: eggs, mustard, sulphites.
Method
- Bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil. Carefully lower the eggs in and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 30 seconds. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice-cold water and leave for 3 minutes, then peel carefully. Set aside.About 10 min
- Place the spinach leaves in a large heatproof serving bowl — the leaves must be properly dry or the dressing will be diluted and the salad will turn watery.
- Cook the lardons in a dry frying pan over a high heat for 5–7 minutes until crispy and the fat has rendered out. Do not add oil — the bacon fat is the point. Scoop out the lardons with a slotted spoon and scatter over the spinach, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.About 7 min
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots to the bacon fat. Cook for 2 minutes until softened. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vinegar — it will spit, so be careful. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, olive oil, caster sugar and a good pinch of salt and black pepper.About 3 min
- Immediately pour the warm dressing over the spinach and toss well. The heat of the dressing will very slightly wilt the leaves — this is what you want. Work quickly.About 1 min
- Halve the soft-boiled eggs and place two halves on top of each portion. Season the eggs with a pinch of flaky salt and serve immediately.About 1 min
Tips
- Dry spinach is non-negotiable here. Wet leaves will dilute the dressing and make the whole thing taste flat. Use a salad spinner and then pat dry if needed.
- Timing matters — have the spinach in the bowl and the eggs peeled before you start the bacon, so the dressing hits the leaves while it's still warm.
- 6 minutes 30 seconds gives you a set white with a molten-but-not-raw yolk. Go to 7 minutes if you prefer something slightly firmer.
Ring the changes
- Add 100g of croutons (tossed in olive oil and baked at 200°C for 10 minutes) for a more substantial salad — this makes it a proper lunch.
- Replace the lardons with sliced halloumi fried in a little olive oil for a vegetarian version with an equally satisfying salty, chewy bite.
Keeping it
This salad does not keep — the dressing wilts the leaves within minutes of dressing. Cook only what you need and dress directly before serving.
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