I m SO excited to be the first reviewer of this recipe so that I can happily also be the first to report how excellent this salad is. I wasn t expecting to love it but I did. I thought it would be too tangy - but it wasn t. Familiar with how boldly flavored (toasted) sesame seed oil is and how little is required to make its statement I was tempted to cut back on it and rather severely. But because I am this recipe s first reviewer I believed it was important to offer an opinion on the recipe just as written. (Down the road however subsequent reviewers should feel free to tweak to their heart s content) So I prepared the dressing exactly as specified (just using grapeseed oil instead of canola oil which I don t use) and cooked the onion till nearly caramelized. I must tell you that once the dressing began to boil the odor actually was tangy and pungent irritating in my nose but I plodded on! This salad is simply beautiful. It is a remarkably elegant presentation and a taste delight different from anything I have ever tried. The sesame oil is a creative and delicious addition to the dressing and the choice of ingredients is sublime. This to my admitted surprise is a real winner.
I really hate it when people change the recipe why not submit your own but I'll do that anyway. First: This was just like Mom used to make and I loved it back then too but if you fry up a few strips of bacon first crumbled and brown some onions in that bacon fat it will be ot die for. Second: I have found that I need to reheat the dressing several times after the first pour to really wilt that spinach.
This recipe is outstanding! I was looking for a last-minute salad to make with my homemade pizza last night and spinach was the only leafy green I had to work with so I searched for a spinach salad. I was intrigued by this one and I am SO glad I found it! My husband said "Mmmm...this is delicious" after the first bite and raved about it with every single bite after that. He's usually not keen on healthy substitutions for things but he said he missed absolutely nothing with this compared to the bacon grease version. We craved it and made it again tonight and he said he would like to have it very often. Thanks so much for this recipe!!!
I make this all the time now it was so good. Brought it to a party and it was a hit. Just to warn you though don't heat up the dressing until right before serving otherwise it can get ugly.
Excellent salad! I didn't measure my spinach I just used a 9oz. bag as that is what I had on hand. I think next time I will cut back on the dressing part maybe by 1/3 as I had a bit too much dressing to spinach ratio. All in all hubby and I enjoyed this very much. Another one for the "do again" folder! Thanks!
This is a bomb recipe. I didn't even have onion or Dijon mustard (substituted yellow mustard) and it still came out great. Thanks for sharing this recipe I can't wait to make it again!
This was totally worth making a special trip to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. I added grilled portobello mushrooms and sliced strawberries.
I tried this first time for 2012 Christmas party and received such great compliments! it was wonderful! then we made this again two days ago and finished up a whole lot of spinach! so delicious! i love it! and i have been sending the recipes to family and friends. Thank you MSTRECKE!I also added cranberries cherry tomatoes freshly made bacon bits and toasted walnuts! Yummy!!
The whole family likes this one! Love the tangy sweet flavor of the dressing. I added chunks of roasted chicken and hot bread to make it a meal. I always was a fan of the old-fashioned wilted spinach salad with bacon grease but this is just as good and has a lot less fat. We'll enjoy this all summer with fresh spinach or greens from the garden.
The salad itself was good but the dressing was too acidic tasting.
