Spinach salad

Last updated
Spinach salad
Classic spinach salad.jpg
Classic spinach salad
Type Salad
CourseMain dish or side dish
Serving temperatureRoom temperature or warm
Main ingredients Spinach

Spinach salad is a salad with spinach as its main ingredient. In the US, a version dressed in a hot bacon dressing which slightly wilts the spinach was popular in the 1970s and into the 1980s and has been called the classic version.

Contents

Versions exist in Persian, Georgian, and Chinese cuisines, and a US version in the early 1900s used cooked spinach in a molded salad.

Ingredients, preparation and serving

Washed spinach, fried bacon, eggs, and scallions are set out to make a spinach salad. Salad fixins (3368228269).jpg
Washed spinach, fried bacon, eggs, and scallions are set out to make a spinach salad.

Common additional ingredients include tomatoes, eggs, cheese, slivered almonds, walnuts and/or fresh or dried berries, such as cranberry or strawberry. Spinach salad and its various recipes is possibly one of the favorite salads for many. Spinach salad is classically served with a warm bacon or vinaigrette dressing, but variations are endless. [1] [2]

The salad can be served as a main dish or a side dish. [3] [4] The classic version with hot bacon dressing is typically served warm; it was developed with mature spinach as the main ingredients, but as baby spinach became available in supermarkets it became more widely used in the dish. [5] A 1983 New York Times recipe by Florence Fabricant using mature spinach called for the spinach to be washed, dried, and torn into pieces before dressing. [6]

Popularity

Spinach salad's popularity likely arose because spinach is one of the earliest of salad greens to emerge in the spring in temperate climates. [7] [8] Before long-distance shipping of refrigerated produce became common, those living in climates where leafy greens were not available year around eagerly anticipated the appearance of perishable early greens such as spinach and asparagus. Spinach emerges before dandelion greens, which were a traditional European early-spring salad green also often dressed with a hot bacon dressing, particularly in Germany. [9] [10] The New York Times' Melissa Clark noted that the appearance of baby spinach in supermarkets, eliminating the need for time-consuming rinsing, de-stemming, and chopping of the mature leaves, increased her willingness to treat the dish as a weeknight dinner option. [5]

Saveur, Southern Living, The New York Times, and TheKitchn called the hot-bacon-dressed spinach salad a classic. [9] [11] [12] [5]

Variations

Spanakit is a spinach salad with Persian origins; its name refers to the Persian word aspanakh, or spinach. [13] [14] [15] According to Joan Nathan it is "a very old recipe". [13] [14] The dish contains ground spinach and ground nuts. [13] [14]

In Dongbei, China, a salad of blanched spinach and peanuts is common and traditionally served as an appetizer. [16]

Ispanakhi Matsvnit is a Georgian salad of cooked and minced spinach mixed with yoghurt. [17]

Wilted spinach salad Wilted Spinach Salad (7562739944).jpg
Wilted spinach salad

According to Alton Brown, a spinach salad dressed in warm bacon dressing likely originated among the Pennsylvania Dutch. [8] [10] Variations of the salad with a hot bacon dressing, also called wilted spinach salad, became popular in the 1970s in the United States and often included canned mandarin oranges, blue cheese and hard-boiled eggs. [18] [7] The spinach salad with hot bacon dressing remained popular into the 1980s but by the early 2000s had fallen out of style; according to Wolfgang Puck writing in 2010, "You practically have to send out a search party to find one in fine restaurants these days." Puck speculated that the salad had become so ubiquitous that "people burned out on it". [7]

History

Recipes for spinach salad at the start of the 20th century were quite different from modern versions; rather than a fresh salad the dish was a molded salad made from cooked spinach. [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caesar salad</span> Green salad of romaine lettuce and croutons

A Caesar salad is a green salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, eggs or egg yolks, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salad</span> Food mixture, served chilled or at room temperature

A salad is a dish consisting of mixed ingredients, frequently vegetables. They are typically served chilled or at room temperature, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a variety of flavors, are often used to enhance a salad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potato salad</span> Salad dish made from boiled potatoes

Potato salad is a salad dish made from boiled potatoes, usually containing a dressing and a variety of other ingredients such as boiled eggs and raw vegetables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-eyed pea</span> Subspecies of cowpea plant

The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean is a legume grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coleslaw</span> Salad consisting primarily of finely-shredded raw cabbage

Coleslaw, also known as cole slaw, or simply as slaw, is a side dish consisting primarily of finely shredded raw cabbage with a salad dressing or condiment, commonly either vinaigrette or mayonnaise. This dish originated in the Netherlands in the 18th century. Coleslaw prepared with vinaigrette may benefit from the long lifespan granted by pickling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobb salad</span> American garden salad

The Cobb salad is an American garden salad typically made with chopped salad greens, tomato, bacon, chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, chives, blue cheese and red wine vinaigrette. The ingredients are laid out on a plate in neat rows. It is served as a main course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf vegetable</span> Plant leaves eaten as a vegetable

Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad greens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lardon</span> Small cubes of fatty pork, possibly cured

A lardon, also spelled lardoon, is a small strip or cube of fatty bacon, or pork fat, used in a wide variety of cuisines to flavor savory food and salads. In French cuisine, lardons are also used for larding, by threading them with a needle into meats that are to be braised or roasted. Lardons are not normally smoked, and they are made from pork that has been cured with salt.

<i>Salade niçoise</i> French salad with anchovies or tuna

Salade niçoise is a salad that originated in the French city of Nice. It is traditionally made of tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, Niçoise olives and anchovies or tuna, dressed with olive oil, or in some historical versions, a vinaigrette. It has been popular worldwide since the early 20th century, and has been prepared and discussed by many chefs. Delia Smith called it "one of the best combinations of salad ingredients ever invented" and Gordon Ramsay said that "it must be the finest summer salad of all".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chef salad</span> American salad

Chef salad is an American salad consisting of hard-boiled eggs, one or more varieties of meat, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese, all placed upon a bed of tossed lettuce or other leaf vegetables. Several early recipes also include anchovies. A variety of dressings may be used with this salad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese chicken salad</span> American chicken salad with Chinese inspired ingredients

Chinese chicken salad is a salad including chopped chicken and Chinese culinary ingredients that is common in parts of the United States. Though many variations exist, common features of Chinese chicken salads include lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, chicken, deep-fried wonton skins or rice vermicelli and nuts. A basic vinaigrette for the salad includes ingredients like vegetable oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar. Optional seasonings include dry hot mustard, sesame seeds, coriander and raw ginger or pickled ginger. In restaurants, Chinese chicken salad may be more embellished and offered as an American-style entree salad, similar to Caesar, Chef, and Cobb salads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eggplant salads and appetizers</span>

Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivier salad</span> Russian traditional salad dish

Olivier salad is a traditional salad dish of Russian cuisine. Its creation is generally attributed to Lucien Olivier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swabian cuisine</span> German regional cuisine

Swabian cuisine is native to Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany comprising great parts of Württemberg and the Bavarian part of Swabia. Swabian cuisine has a reputation for being rustic, but rich and hearty. Fresh egg pastas, soups, and sausages are among Swabia's best-known types of dishes, and Swabian cuisine tends to require broths or sauces; dishes are rarely "dry".

West Indies Salad is a variation of crab meat ceviche that originated in the Mobile, Alabama area and is still a regional seafood delicacy enjoyed today. West Indies salad was created by the restaurateur William "Bill" Bayley, Sr., the owner of Bayley's Steak House south of Mobile on Dauphin Island Parkway, in 1947. Per the first source, he was inspired while working as a ship steward on a ship docked in the Cayman Islands. In 2022, due to staffing issues, Bayley's announced its closure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thai salads</span> Thai cuisine

Salads that are internationally known as Thai salads with a few exceptions fall into four main preparation methods. In Thai cuisine these are called yam, tam, lap and phla. A few other dishes can also be regarded as being a salad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mala xiang guo</span> Chinese dish

Mala xiang guo, roughly translated into English as "spicy stir-fry hot pot", is a Chinese dish prepared by stir frying. Strongly flavored with mala, it often contains meat and vegetables, and has a salty and spicy taste. The preparation process involves placing the required ingredients in the pot, stir frying and adding seasoning. In restaurants, customers usually choose the ingredients by themselves before the chef prepares the dish.

References

  1. ↑ Jennifer Chandler (2007). Simply Salads: More than 100 Creative Recipes You Can Make in Minutes from Prepackaged Greens. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 19. ISBN   9781418577742 . Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Irma S. Rombauer; Marion Rombauer Becker; Ethan Becker; Maria Guarnaschelli (1997). Joy of Cooking, 1997. New York, New York USA: Simon and Schuster. pp. 213–214. ISBN   9780684818702 . Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Musgrave, Christina (2021-07-26). "Warm Spinach Salad Recipe". Mashed . Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  4. ↑ Denby, Laura (20 December 2023). "14 Spinach Salad Recipes That Are Hearty Enough for a Fast Weeknight Meal". Food Network . Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  5. 1 2 3 Clark, Melissa (28 November 2016). "A Warm Spinach Salad, Wearing Pancetta and Egg". The New York Times .
  6. ↑ Fabricant, Florence (6 March 1983). "Popeye's Favorite Food is Even Better Fresh". The New York Times .
  7. 1 2 3 Puck, Wolfgang (27 January 2010). "An opportunity to bring back warm spinach salad". Columbia Daily Tribune . Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  8. 1 2 "Dining In: Spinach is here, as fresh as it gets". The Bucks County Herald . 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  9. 1 2 "Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing". Saveur . 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  10. 1 2 "Best Wine to Pair With Spinach Salad". IntoWine . 2011-09-19. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  11. ↑ Brownfield, Elizabeth (19 April 2023). "Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing". Southern Living . Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  12. ↑ Crowder, Sarah E. (1 May 2019). "Spinach Salad with Warm Brown Butter Dressing". Kitchn . Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  13. 1 2 3 Nathan, Joan (2017-04-04). King Solomon's Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World: A Cookbook. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. pp. 339–342. ISBN   978-0-385-35115-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  14. 1 2 3 Nathan, Joan. "Racha's Spinach Salad with Walnuts and Cilantro (Spanakit)". Splendid Table . Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  15. ↑ Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). The Oxford Companion to Food. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001.
  16. ↑ Sin, Lucas (27 July 2022). "Chinese Spinach and Peanut Salad". Serious Eats . Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  17. ↑ The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia, p. 134, Darra Goldstein (University of California Press, 1999)
  18. ↑ D'Arabian, Melissa (2 June 2015). "Take the '70s out of wilted spinach salad". The Topeka Capital-Journal . Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  19. ↑ Mower, Robin M. (2013). "Spinach". In Smith, Andrew F. (ed.). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 350. ISBN   978-0-19-973496-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.