Ingredients
- 4 pounds baby spinach
- 3-1/2 cups Hot Bacon Dressing (recipe follows)
- 1 (#10/106 ounce) can Pacific Northwest Canned Pears, sliced, in juice, drained and juice reserved
- 1-1/2 pounds (8 cups) feta cheese, crumbled
- 18 ounces (about 8 cups) garlic croutons
- 18 ounces bacon, diced and cooked until crisp (about 3 cups)
- 24 large eggs, hard-cooked and sliced
- HOT BACON DRESSING
- 4 pounds smoked pepper bacon, diced
- 2-1/2 pounds sweet onion, finely chopped (8 cups)
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 cup reserved Pacific Northwest Canned Pear juice
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces (1 cup) egg substitute (optional)
Method
In large bowl, toss the spinach with Hot Bacon Dressing, mixing well to coat the leaves thoroughly.
For each serving, place 2 cups of dressed spinach leaves on a large plate. Top the spinach with: 1/2 cup pear slices, 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/4 cup croutons, 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon, and 1 sliced, hard-cooked egg.
HOT BACON DRESSING
Fry the bacon in a wide skillet over medium heat until it is very crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and allow to drain and cool on paper towels. Crumble the cooled bacon and set aside.
Pour off all but 2/3 cup bacon grease from the skillet. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the onion and sauté until tender and translucent. Remove the pan from the heat, add the vinegar and pear juice and return the pan to the burner. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and continue to simmer until reduced by half.
Add sugar and simmer until it has dissolved. Add the salt and pepper, remove from the heat and keep the dressing hot. If you are using the egg substitute, whisk it in a bowl and add 1 cup of the hot dressing while whisking constantly. Add the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining hot dressing, whisking constantly, until smooth and thickened. Keep warm until ready to assemble the salad.
Makes 3-1/2 cups
