With Valentine’s Day quick approaching, maybe you’re looking for something to make that special someone, even if that “someone” is just you. Whether that be a culinary exercise in self-love or a delicious gift to those whom you love dearly, this vegan warm spinach salad is the perfect meal to show that you care.
What’s in this warm spinach salad?
– Fresh, broad leaves of spinach
– A tart raspberry vinaigrette and shaved almonds
– Smokey rainbow carrot bacon
– Punchy pickled beets
– Creamy vegan feta, like Violife’s Just Like Feta!
– Fresh raspberries
It’s hard to resist the allure of this warm spinach salad. Visually, texturally and flavor-wise, it’s packed full of contrasts and vibrancy.
Is it a lot of work to make a warm spinach salad?
Yes. I won’t beet around the bush in this regard. There are many separate components, all of which come together at the end to complete this salad. However, many of the different elements of this dish can be completed at the same time.
– Boiling and pickling the beets while making the rainbow carrot bacon.
– Tear up the spinach while the onions and garlic are sautéing for the vinaigrette.
Or have your significant other help with you with the multitasking.
In order to combine all the elements together at a reasonable time, you’re going to need to multitask.
Rainbow Carrot Bacon, a masterpiece
Carrot bacon has long since been a staple for many and many other people who cook plant-based food, and with good reason: it’s a delicious, enhancing garnish for any dish, as it’s smokey and crispy and generally just tasty.
In this vegan warm spinach salad recipe, I decided to use rainbow carrots, instead of regular orange carrots. I discovered a couple years ago that rainbow carrots, the purple ones in particular, when peeled, have that signature bacon-look to them: dark around the edge with a white strip down the middle. I thought they were beautiful – almost too beautiful to eat! Almost..
I would recommend looking for the largest bunch of rainbow carrots you can find, and try to find a bunch that has more purple than orange or white, since those have the most pleasing visual effect.
If you’re looking for another great use of carrot bacon, check out these carrot bacon wrapped stuffed medjool dates – I promise you that they’re well worth the effort to make. It also shows the incredible versatility of an ingredient as initially unassuming as a carrot.
Before cooking plant-based, I had no these orange vegetables could be used to such an extent, and in so many different ways: carrot cakes, carrot soups, carrot bacon, carrot salads, carrot muffins, ect. This versatility is the reason why I’ve devoted an entire recipe category to carrots, everything carrots, to which many more recipes are soon to be added.
Tips and Tricks for the Spinach
As for the spinach, the main body of this dish, I would recommend buying the fresh bundles of broad-leafed spinach, if you can find them. They’re a bit more work to prepare, but it’s worth it to have a bigger, more flavorful spinach in this salad.
Tearing the spinach apart with your hands is a great way of making sure that you have nice bite-sized chunks without reducing it too much. It helps wilt the spinach slightly and makes it easier to toss with the vinaigrette.
Speaking of which, you’re going to want to find the biggest bowl you have. The 8 cups of spinach takes up a lot of space, and mixing it with the dressing can be messy if you’re trying to use a bowl that is too small for the task.
The only caveat with this recipe is that leftovers are not really an option, as wilted spinach doesn’t do well reheated (not as if that’s going to be a problem – it’s too delicious not to eat all of it). Just be sure that if you’re going to make this, be hungry and ready to eat all of it.
The Pickled Beets
Beets are one of the vegetables that I never thought I would even remotely like, let alone cook and include in a meal. But since cooking and eating plant-based, I’ve learned to appreciate and to embrace beets for what they are: a super unique and amazing vegetable that really have a flavor and color unlike anything else.
Pickling beets is one of the easiest ways to transform this ingredient, and the pickling liquid helps to curb the beets natural sweetness. The recipe for these pickled beets actually come from my Great Aunt Bobbee who, much like her pickled beets, was an incredibly sweet and wonderful.
The trick to beets is to de-stem them (save the beet greens – they’re really good for you), boil them until tender, about 40 minutes, and then remove the outside layer of skin under cold running water. Your hands and fingernails will be stained brilliant magenta for a day or two, but it’s worth it.
After that, cut them up, bring to boil in the pickling liquid, and let them soak. This is a fast way to pickle beets, but an effective one.
Here’s Why You Ought To Make A Warm Spinach Salad Like This
Truthfully, if you love spinach, beets, and carrot bacon, or you are looking for a thematic main course that is perfect for Valentine’s Day to make for your vegan or plant-based or vegan-curious friend, family member, significant other or..anyone really, then look no further – this is the dish.
The daunting prospect of making each individual element is not as difficult as it seems, especially if you can find someone else to make this with. It’s fun to cook with others, and even more fun to eat what you cooked with them, together.
And if you are by yourself this Valentine’s Day or any day thereafter, know that you matter, and there’s nothing wrong with spoiling yourself with this beautiful dish – all to yourself!
So what are you waiting for – give this salad a try!
Warm Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and Pickled Beets
Equipment
- Skillet
- Large Bowl
- Oven
- Baking Sheet lined with Parchment Paper or a Silicon Baking Mat
Ingredients
For the pickled beets
- 4 large beets
- 1 ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Rainbow Carrot Bacon
- 4-5 large rainbow carrots, peeled into long strips (use purple ones if you can)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons vegan Worcheshire sauce
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- Salt and Pepper
For the raspberry vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ red onion, diced
- ½ cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple cidar vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup shaved almonds
- 8 cups fresh spinach, roughly torn apart with hands
For Garnish
- Violife's Just Like Feta, crumbled as garnish
- Fresh raspberries, as garnish
Instructions
To Make the Pickled Beets
- De-stem the beets, then bring them to boil in a large pot of water. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 35 – 45 minutes, until moderately tender when poked with a fork.
- Wash the beets under cold water and then remove the outside layer of skin. After that, cut them in half, and slice the halves into half-circles, and then those into thirds (heart-shaped wedges).
- Bring the wedges of beets to boil in the pickling liquid, remove from heat, and let the beets sit in liquid for 20 minutes.
To Make the Rainbow Carrot Bacon
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and peel long strips of rainbow carrots, tossing them in the marinade.
- On a prepared baking sheet, lay the carrots out evenly, and bake for 18 – 22 minutes, turning once or twice halfway through the bake.
To Make the Raspberry Vinaigrette
- In a skillet over medium heat with olive oil, sauté the garlic for about a minute, then add the red onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Next, add the raspberries, olive oil, vinegars, and salt and pepper. Let the raspberries break down, and then add the shaved almonds and maple syrup.
To Assemble
- Roughly tear the spinach (washed and dried) apart with your hands in as big a bowl as you can find. Then pour the warm raspberry vinaigrette over top. Toss the salad until the vinaigrette covers all the spinach. Top the warm spinach with rainbow carrot bacon, pickled beets, vegan feta (store-bought), and fresh raspberries.Enjoy this beautiful vegan warm spinach salad!
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment and rating before you go.
And if you’re looking for another delicious vegan salad, check out this vegan puy lentil salad.
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
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Years ago, back in the days when I ate bacon, a friend of mine made this delicious salad with crispy bacon and hot bacon grease vinegarette. I’ve always wanted to have that taste again – without the bacon. This recipe accomplishes that. Delicious vinagarette, fresh fruit, and crunch almonds are wonderful enough, but the addition of the rainbow carrot bacon not only simulates that bacon flavor, the combination of flavors layer upon one another in a way sure to please.