A festive, flavorful salad for your holiday table—this Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing features roasted delicata squash, pomegranate arils, and toasted pecans. It’s simple to prep ahead and assemble right before your special meal.
The Perfect Hot Holiday Salad
If you ask me, a generous platter of roasted vegetables or a dressed greens salad can steal the show at holiday dinners. This Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing brings bright colors, bold flavor, and a mix of textures that feel special without being fussy.
Holiday meals can still be nourishing. Choose recipes that combine seasonal produce, healthy fats, and a little indulgence so everyone feels satisfied and energized through the colder months.
What makes this salad holiday-worthy:
- Pomegranate and pecans: The jewel-like pomegranate arils add sweetness and brightness, while toasted pecans bring crunch and warmth. Together they lift the salad into a festive dish.
- Roasted delicata squash: Delicata is naturally sweet and creamy when roasted, and its tender texture pairs beautifully with crisp spinach.
- Hot bacon dressing: A warm, savory dressing made with rendered bacon fat and fried shallots coats the salad and ties all the flavors together. Serve it hot over the greens for a dramatic finish.
How to Make Holiday Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Step 1: Roast the delicata squash. Slice, season, and roast until tender and lightly caramelized. If you’re new to delicata, treat it like other winter squashes—no need to peel.
Step 2: Prepare the hot bacon dressing. Cook bacon until crisp, reserve the fat, and fry thinly sliced shallots in the rendered fat until golden. Return crumbled bacon to the pan, then add a splash of vinegar and a touch of sweetener. Warm and fragrant, the dressing can be made ahead and gently reheated when ready to serve.
Step 3: Arrange 8 cups of baby spinach on a platter or in a large salad bowl. Scatter roasted delicata squash, 1 cup pomegranate arils, and 1/2 cup toasted pecans over the greens.
Step 4: Just before serving, drizzle the warm bacon dressing over the salad and toss gently so the leaves are lightly coated. For guests who prefer a vegetarian option, serve the bacon dressing on the side and offer a simple alternative such as a lemon-balsamic vinaigrette or a poppyseed honey-mustard dressing.
Make This Your Perfect Spinach Salad
Make it vegan: The assembled salad is vegan-friendly—omit the hot bacon dressing and use a bright vinaigrette instead, such as lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, or a poppyseed honey-mustard made with a plant-based sweetener.
Turn it into a meal: Add protein to make this salad a main course: roasted chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or crispy roasted chickpeas all work well.
Substitute squash: If delicata isn’t available, use cubed butternut squash or sliced acorn squash roasted with the same method. Both offer similar sweetness and texture.
Other holiday salad ideas:
- Butternut, Millet and Spinach Salad
- Vibrant Winter Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Kale and Blood Orange Salad
- Roasted Winter Greens Salad
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Holiday Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Ingredients
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8 cups baby spinach -
2 delicata squash roasted -
1 cup pomegranate arils from 1 large pomegranate -
1/2 cup pecans toasted -
hot bacon dressing to serve
Instructions
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Roast the delicata squash until tender and lightly caramelized. Treat delicata like other winter squashes—no peeling is needed if desired.
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Make the hot bacon dressing: crisp the bacon, reserve the fat, and fry thinly sliced shallots in the rendered fat until golden. Return crumbled bacon to the pan and stir in a splash of vinegar and a touch of sweetener. Reheat gently when ready to serve.
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Assemble the salad by layering baby spinach, roasted delicata, pomegranate arils, and toasted pecans on a platter or in a large bowl.
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Just before serving, toss the salad with the warm bacon dressing. For vegetarian guests, offer the dressing on the side and provide a simple vinaigrette alternative.
Video
Notes
Make it Vegan: The salad is vegan before the dressing. Swap the hot bacon dressing for a lemon-balsamic vinaigrette or a poppyseed honey-mustard made without animal products.
Make it a Meal: Add roasted chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or roasted chickpeas to serve this as a satisfying main course.
Mix it up: Substitute butternut or acorn squash if you can’t find delicata; roast them the same way for similar flavor and texture.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 21g
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Protein: 4g
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Fat: 7g
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Fiber: 5g
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