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Warm Spinach Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Warm spinach potato salad with hot bacon vinaigrette coats tender potato slices and wilts fresh spinach for a German-style, tangy side. Crispy bacon adds salty crunch and keeps the salad lively while served immediately.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

red potatoes
  • 3 lb red potatoes
fresh spinach
  • 6 cup fresh spinach
bacon
  • 8 bacon slices
onion
  • 1 onion diced
red wine vinegar
  • 0.333 cup red wine vinegar
Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
sugar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and keep potatoes warm
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the sliced red potatoes until tender, 8-12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and keep them warm.
Make bacon drippings and onion base
  1. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy, 6-10 minutes, then reserve the drippings. Keep the bacon aside for topping.
  2. Sauté the diced onion in the reserved bacon drippings until softened, 3-5 minutes, stirring often.
Simmer the bacon vinaigrette
  1. Add the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to the onion and bring the mixture to a simmer, 2-3 minutes. Keep the dressing hot for pouring.
Wilt spinach and assemble
  1. Place the fresh spinach in a large bowl. Add the warm potatoes on top.
  2. Pour the hot bacon vinaigrette over the spinach and potatoes and toss immediately to wilt the spinach, 1-2 minutes.
  3. Crumble the crispy bacon over the top. Serve immediately while warm.

Notes

For the best wilted texture, keep the potatoes hot and pour the vinaigrette right after it simmers so the spinach collapses instantly. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat to avoid soggy spinach. Freezing is not recommended due to the spinach texture. For a lighter option, use turkey bacon and swap in apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar to keep the tang while reducing fat.