Baby Spinach Salad with Crispy Bacon and Cheese Croutons

By cdboss

Ingredients

• 4 slices crusty sourdough bread, crusts removed
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 oz. dry Jack cheese, finely shredded
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 6 Tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 Tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 slices bacon
• 8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 26mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 400˚ F. Tear or cut bread into 1 inch pieces. Place bread pieces on a baking sheet and toast in oven, stirring pieces halfway through to ensure they cook evenly, 8 minutes or until they are dry and crisp. Remove from oven; keep oven on.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan; drizzle the butter over croutons, tossing to coat them. Arrange butter-coated croutons close together in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese generously over croutons; return them to oven. Bake about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and croutons are golden. Remove from oven; set aside to cool.
3. Place vinegar in a medium bowl. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly to blend. Whisk in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook about 3 minutes per side or until crisp and golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss spinach leaves with enough vinegar to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Break half the bacon into bite-size pieces and add to the salad. Divide the salad among 4 salad plates; arrange remaining bacon over salads. Garnish each with cherry tomatoes and croutons.