Name: Springtime Spinach Salad
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 slices hearty white bread , cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 red onion , halved and sliced thin; 1 teaspoon sugar; 3 hard-cooked eggs , peeled, yolks and whites separated; 1 (10-ounce) bag baby spinach

Why This Recipe Works

We took common ingredients like olive oil, salt, red wine vinegar, mustard, and minced thyme and garlic, and combined them to create a flavorful dressing for our Springtime Spinach Salad. Raw onions and unflavored croutons seemed a little lackluster for this salad. We used a little dressing to sauté the onions, and tossed the croutons with dressing before baking them. Rather than slicing or quartering the hard-boiled eggs, we opted instead to grate the whites and the yolks separately into small, uniform yellow and white pieces that contrasted nicely with the deep green spinach.

Before You Begin

The dressing, croutons, and hard-cooked eggs can be prepared 1 day before you plan to serve the salad.

Instructions

MAKE DRESSING Whisk vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mustard, garlic, thyme, and olive oil together in small bowl until creamy and emulsified.

MAKE CROUTONS Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons dressing in medium bowl until thoroughly coated. Spread cubes in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside.

FINISH SALAD Heat 2 tablespoons dressing in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sugar and cook, covered until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Separately grate egg whites and yolks through small holes of box grater. Toss croutons, onion, spinach, and remaining dressing together in large bowl. Divide among individual plates and sprinkle with grated eggs. Serve.