SPINACH SALAD … WITH VIRGINIA’S AMAZING ASIAN DRESSING

This spinach salad contains the usual classic ingredients  – spinach of course, hard-boiled eggs, and bacon .    It is the dressing that takes it to new and delicious flavour heights.

If you are generous with the amount of eggs and bacon you add to your salad you could make  it  a meal.  Just  add some crusty French bread and voila you have supper.

This salad dressing is so good you might want to make a double recipe.   If you read the ingredient list on the labels of most commercial salad dressings you’ll see water listed as the first ingredient.  Why would you pay money for water when it is so simple to make your own dressings.

SPINACH SALAD

A large bunch of spinach well washed, or a regular sized container of pre-washed baby spinach.  (I also wash this spinach)

8 slices of cooked bacon crumbled

3 hard-boiled eggs.  (To make the perfect hard-boiled egg put your eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water.  On high heat, no lid on the pan, bring the eggs to a boil.  Take them off the heat and cover and let sit for 15 minutes of so.  Drain and run cold water over the eggs.  You’ll have tender, perfectly cooked eggs.)

Some thinly sliced red or white onion or several green onions sliced.  The amount is up to you.

ASIAN SPINACH DRESSING:

In a medium sized bowl put

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

3/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

a very generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

Add

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsp white wine

3  tbsp spoons light soy sauce and give it a good whisk.

Now  whisk in a scant 3/4 cup of good quality vegetable oil.   I make this with canola oil instead of the heavier olive oil, but again this is your choice.

Toss the spinach, bacon and onions with  some dressing until all the leaves are coated.  Then arrange the  egg slices on top.  Enjoy.