Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 150 g baby spinach, washed and thoroughly dried
- 100 g cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 30 g sliced almonds, raw
Warm Tarragon Dressing
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 20 g shallot, finely minced
- 20 ml white wine vinegar
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 5 g honey
- 5 g fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 342 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 509 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 21 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Potassium
- 878 mg
- Calcium
- 162 mg
- Iron
- 4.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 118 mg
- Phosphorus
- 182 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 357 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 8.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 377 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.56 mg
- Niacin
- 3.0 mg
- Folate
- 168 mcg
- Water
- 137 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the thoroughly dried baby spinach, sliced cremini mushrooms, and raw sliced almonds into a large mixing bowl.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely minced shallot and saute until translucent and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully whisk in the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified. Stir in the chopped fresh tarragon.
Pour the hot dressing immediately over the spinach, mushrooms, and almonds. Mix gently using tongs just until the spinach is slightly wilted and the ingredients are evenly coated.
Plate the warm salad immediately and serve before the delicate greens lose their structure.
Chef's Notes
- Drying your spinach perfectly is the single most important step; any residual water will repel the oil-based dressing and dilute the flavor profile.
- The heat of the vinaigrette is designed to barely wilt the spinach, breaking down its tough cell walls just enough to make it tender while releasing the earthy aromas of the raw mushrooms.
- Cremini mushrooms are preferred over standard white button mushrooms here because their firmer texture and deeper, nuttier flavor hold up beautifully to the robust anise notes of the fresh tarragon.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Spinach became entirely mushy and lost its volume
Cause: The dressing was too hot or the salad was over-mixed, over-cooking the delicate baby spinach.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Allow the dressing to cool for 30 seconds off the heat before pouring, and toss briefly and gently.
Dressing pooled at the bottom and tasted watery
Cause: The spinach was not dried thoroughly after washing.
Fix: Drain excess liquid from the bottom of the bowl and toss with a tiny pinch of salt to restore flavor.
Prevention: Use a salad spinner and pat the leaves down with clean paper towels to remove all surface moisture before mixing.
Cultural Context
Warm vinaigrettes poured over sturdy greens have long roots in French bistro culture, classically seen in dishes like the Salade Lyonnaise. Using a warm dressing on raw vegetables bridges the gap between a crisp salad and a cooked side dish, maximizing both texture and flavor extraction.
