Small, bright green leaves are appearing on tree branches around our neighborhood. Some yards boast golden stands of daffodils, too. Spring is finally inching its way into our world, and am I ever ready for it. To celebrate this welcome change in the seasons, I made Spinach Salad Sevillaña.
I first assembled this salad from a recipe published in the May 1992 Bon Appétit, an issue that explored the flavors of Spain. Bon Appétit reader Beth Sexton Stryker contributed the recipe to the section “Too Busy to Cook.” Beth explained that she learned about Spanish cuisine when she had studied and worked in Spain. I liked what Beth called her “guiding principles” of entertaining: “I don’t make anything that is labor intensive at the last minute, and I prepare as much as possible in advance.”
Making the Salad
Spinach Salad Sevillaña is a pretty dish that highlights Spanish flavors. Baby spinach leaves are easy to access year-round and create a verdant yet mild canvas for artichoke hearts, boiled eggs, and crisp bacon. With Easter around the corner, we have lots of boiled eggs on hand. And frying up the bacon takes less than 10 minutes.
The dressing for this salad is quick to make and pretty versatile. What begins as a vinaigrette takes on a beautiful hue from paprika, dried mustard, and red wine vinegar. I used about half of the sugar that the original recipe called for. In addition, I decided to substitute chopped shallots for regular onions. Their milder flavor works well. While this salad dressing is great for Salad Sevillaña, it is delicious with boiled potatoes, steamed vegetables, and other salad greens. And you can make it a day or two ahead of time.
A salad tied to memories
We were fortunate to travel to Seville several years ago and even luckier to have our friend Maria show us around there. At the time, Maria lived in Madrid, but she had visited her sister Nina in Seville several times when Nina studied there. Maria and Nina explored the city widely, learning all of the fascinating as well as fun places to go.
Maria led us to restaurants with amazing tapas, to clubs with fantastic flamenco performers, and through walks that showed off the remarkable beauty of the Seville. Every time I put this salad together, I remember our time there with a smile.
One more celebration
Another celebration I’m having is that Sunnyside Cook has undergone a makeover with a new look. I hope that those of you who have been reading and trying my recipes throughout the years will find the new layout easy to navigate and pleasing to work with.
Now let’s make a salad!
Spinach Salad Sevillaña
Ingredients
Salad dressing
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped shallot
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad ingredients
- 1 10- ounce package ready-to-use baby spinach leaves or 1 pound fresh spinach stemmed
- 1 8-ounce can Spanish artichoke hearts drained well, quartered
- 4 bacon slices fried until crispy, drained on paper towels, broken into pieces
- 2 hard-boiled eggs thinly sliced
Instructions
Salad dressing
- Combine oil, vinegar, shallots, sugar, paprika, mustard, salt, and pepper in blender or processor and blend until well combined. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Assembling the salad
- Combine stemmed spinach leaves and artichoke hearts in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat generously. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Top with bacon pieces and sliced eggs. Divide among 4 plates and serve.
Sounds delicious!
This sounds like my kind of dish.
I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying your Spinach Salad several times! It isn’t difficult and is a crowd pleaser! Fresh and delicious, a great choice to round out your meal! Happy Easter!