The Soup is Mocking Me

So there I am in my kitchen, gripped by spring fever, desperately wracking my brain for cooking inspiration, and all I can think about are strawberries, fresh garden greens, summer beer in big orange coolers, the smell of charcoal burning to that perfect gray….but nothing NOTHING came to mind for dinner. Please not another soup, the trademark of cold weather. (Is it possible the soup is mocking me?)Although this week’s weather has been gorgeous, I still had to scrape ice off my truck windows before leaving for work this morning. I am So. Over. Winter. For those of you who are also dancing to this particular song of sorrow: tadah! A recipe that covers both bases, it is simple and fresh but still hearty and bold making it perfect for this time of year. Also, it was husband-approved, which is a mighty feat for an entrée salad. Yes, its a temporary solution but hey, it'll be grilling weather in no time! You just hang in there, sport!

Almost-Spring Spinach Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Fresh Spinach, stems removed and rinsed

Red Onion, thinly sliced

Portobello Mushrooms, thinly sliced

Feta or Cheddar Cheese

Hardboiled Eggs, sliced

Bacon, cooked and diced

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Sugar

Dijon Mustard

Black Pepper

Chop your spinach into whatever size pleases you. Mix onion, mushrooms, cheese, sliced hardboiled eggs, and spinach. Place your bacon pieces in a separate bowl, preferably when they’re still warm. Drizzle two parts olive oil to one part red wine vinegar over the bacon. Add a squeeze of Dijon mustard, a palmful of sugar, and black pepper to the mix and stir. If you really want to make this bacon-y, you can use some of your bacon grease in the vinaigrette instead of some of the olive oil. I don’t use salt in this vinaigrette because of the saltiness of the bacon. Mix the dressing well and toss with the salad mix. Make sure everything is well-coated and taste, adjust to preference, and enjoy!!