I find it fascinating that I can make a rich, decadent, insanely chocolaty dessert with only 1 or 2 grams of fat, but can rarely make over an entrée-sized salad for less than 10. Oddly, this is one case where even though this recipe sounds insanely fattening, I can.

A large serving of this salad has so few fat grams and calories it shocks me, so I eat it often. And so I never get tired of it, I often add grilled chicken, egg whites, shrimp, and/or red onion. You can also add a few dried tart cherries or a touch of reduced-fat blue cheese to make it extra-special.

Spinach Bacon Salad

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

A large, satisfying spinach salad with a warm, tangy bacon dressing — shockingly light for how indulgent it tastes.
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Servings: 1 salad
Calories: 108
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Salad
  • 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons Warm Bacon Dressing (recipe below), reheated if necessary
Warm Bacon Dressing
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 3 slices center-cut bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • Black pepper

Method
 

Warm Bacon Dressing
  1. Whisk the mustard, honey, and flour in a small mixing bowl. When smooth, slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then the vinegar.
  2. Place a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and shallots, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  3. Whisk in the mustard mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with pepper to taste. Can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated, then reheated before use.
Salad
  1. Combine the spinach and mushrooms in a medium bowl. Add the warm Bacon Dressing and toss until combined. Serve immediately.

Notes

Warm Bacon Dressing (makes about 9 tablespoons) — each tablespoon: 35 calories, less than 1g protein, 4g carbohydrates, 2g fat, less than 1g saturated fat, 4mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 79mg sodium.
Full salad (1 serving): 108 calories, 4g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 4g fat, 2g saturated fat, 7mg cholesterol, 4g fiber, 275mg sodium.
 
Recipe taken from Devin Alexander’s The Most Decadent Diet Ever! Copyright © 2008 by Devin Alexander, published by Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Want just the dressing recipe on its own? Get the full recipe here.

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