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Spinach salad on a white plate, topped with crispy prosciutto.

Spinach Prosciutto Salad

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  • Author: Jessie
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 as a side salad 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This easy spinach prosciutto salad gets a pop of flavor from crispy prosciutto and a fresh basil dressing!


Ingredients

Scale

For the Basil Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad:

  • 3 ounces prosciutto (about 4 sandwich-sized pieces)
  • 4 packed cups baby spinach leaves

Instructions

For the Basil Dressing:

  1. Put basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a small blender or food processor. Purée until you have a smooth dressing (you may need to scrape down the sides of your blender once or twice). Dressing should look like a traditional vinaigrette or a very runny pesto.

  2. Use dressing immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Note: This dressing makes more than you’ll need for just this salad! Keep the leftovers in a jar in the fridge and use on salads or roasted veggies during the week.

For the Salad:

  1. Heat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Place prosciutto on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat or a piece of parchment paper. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until prosciutto is crispy and slightly darkened. Prosciutto tends to crisp quickly, so keep an eye on it! Let prosciutto cool until you’re ready to assemble the salad.

  2. Add spinach to a large mixing bowl or serving platter. Crumble crispy prosciutto over the top. Drizzle with a few teaspoons of basil dressing (recipe above). Toss to combine and serve immediately.


Notes

Substitutions. Use arugula or kale in place of some or all of the spinach if you like. Swap lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar. Use crispy bacon instead of prosciutto.

Additions. Add extra protein (chicken, salmon, hard boiled eggs), cooked grains (quinoa, farro), or extra veggies (red onion, avocado, cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, bell peppers) to this salad to make it a bit heartier. Add your favorite cheese (we love feta, goat cheese, or blue cheese), some nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios), or fruit (berries, peaches, apples) for extra color and flavor.

Prosciutto is very salty - so give your crispy prosciutto a taste before you add any extra salt to the dressing or the salad! You can always use less prosciutto as well if you'd like less salt here.