This spinach salad is a delicious and healthy meal that you can make on the grill. It is inspired by the classic spinach salad that usually has raw mushrooms, onion, egg, and bacon. In this version, we grill mushrooms, onion, and peppers along with chicken that is marinated in a flavorful herb mixture. We also make a homemade French dressing that is tangy and smoky. You can add some optional toppings like hard-boiled egg, feta cheese, and coconut bacon for extra protein and crunch. Coconut bacon is very easy to make with just three ingredients and adds a sweet and savory element to the salad. You can also use any kind of bacon you like, such as vegan bacon, tempeh bacon, regular bacon or turkey bacon.
Ingredients:
- Baby spinach
- Mushrooms (any kind that can be grilled, such as cremini, portobello, shitake, maitake, oyster, etc.)
- Red onion
- Bell pepper or sweet peppers
- Grilled chicken (see recipe below)
- French dressing (see recipe below)
- Optional: hard-boiled egg, feta cheese, coconut bacon
How to make it:
- Start by marinating the chicken following this recipe. You can do this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to grill.
- Make the dressing by whisking together red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, and tomato paste. Gradually whisk in olive oil until well combined and smooth.
- Preheat the grill to high heat. Brush the mushrooms, onion slices, and peppers with some oil and salt. Place them on the grill along with the chicken. Lower the heat slightly and close the lid for about 4 minutes. Flip the veggies and chicken over and cook for another 4 minutes or until done to your liking. The veggies will continue to cook a bit after you take them off the heat.
- In a large bowl, toss the spinach with some of the dressing (you will have some leftover for another use). Transfer to a platter or individual plates. Top with the grilled veggies and chicken. Add some hard-boiled egg slices, feta cheese crumbles, and coconut bacon if you like. Enjoy!
