Nectarine Spinach Salad with Bacon and Toasted Walnuts {Paleo, Whole30}

This fresh nectarine and spinach salad is loaded with so many goodies!  Crispy bacon, toasted walnuts and an easy Whole30 friendly balsamic vinaigrette.  You can make it a filling meal by adding grilled chicken or serve on its own.  Paleo, no added sugar and Whole30 compliant. 

Hi again!  So, we’re going savory-ish with our summer fruit today, AKA as we are pairing it with bacon.  If you don’t typically pair fruit with bacon, you will kick yourself for all the times you missed out once you try it!

I think I started out pairing apples with bacon, and after falling in love with those recipes, I can’t help but do it with nearly every other fruit.   Especially in a salad – because every salad should involve some bacon, don’t you think?

So, my kids have been loving nectarines lately.  I don’t buy nectarines and peaches year round the way I do strawberries and blueberries, so they sort of “forget” about peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, watermelon, and other melons over the course of the year.

I guess it’s possible that they’re legitimately forgetting they like certain fruits, but “forget” seems more accurate.  I know I’m probably making no sense now, but perhaps something similar happens with your kids, too.

Anyway, when I bought fresh nectarines my kids acted like they’d been deprived of fresh fruit their entire lives and started requesting them all the time.  Perfect!  A new go-to fruit that I happen to like as well.  And a great idea for a light-ish summer salad to go with any meal alongside some grilled chicken or all on its own if you’re not in dire need of the extra protein.

Of course, we have bacon and plenty of toasted walnuts here, along with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette, so there’s plenty to love as is!

Let’s go over what the salad consists of.  I’ll start with the dressing because it’s really yummy, Whole30 friendly, DOES NOT require a blender (YAY!) and all around simple.  I tend to shy away from “plain” vinaigrettes because in my mind they’re TOO simple to be good.  So not true though!

The dressing is a simple mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, brown mustard, lime juice (or lemon), minced shallots (or onion) and salt and pepper.  You put everything in a container and simply SHAKE until it’s all combined.  The dressing really complements the natural sweetness of the nectarines and the saltiness of the bacon and walnuts.  Did I mention we’ll be toasting the walnuts IN BACON FAT?   It’s sort of my favorite thing to do lately.

Once our bacon is cooked and crumbled, walnuts are toasted, nectarines are sliced and dressing is ready, we toss it all with fresh baby spinach (my favorite fresh salad green) and dig in.   There’s so much “good stuff” in this salad there will be no need to fight over it (as we always do around here) although you could  make just a bit of extra bacon and walnuts, just to be safe, if fighting over bacon is a problem in your house.  Perhaps I’m projecting, but my kids fighting over bacon has been known to be an actual problem for me, so I’m just covering all the bases before we get started.  I think we’re ready now!  Let’s make this!

Nectarine Spinach Salad with Bacon & Toasted Walnuts {Paleo & Whole30}

Nectarine Spinach Salad with Bacon and Toasted Walnuts {Paleo, Whole30}

This fresh nectarine and spinach salad is loaded with so many goodies! Crispy bacon, toasted walnuts and an easy Whole30 friendly balsamic vinaigrette. You can make it a filling meal by adding grilled chicken or serve on its own. Paleo, no added sugar and Whole30 compliant.

Author: Michele Rosen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Course: Lunch/Dinner/Side

Cuisine: Paleo, Whole30

Servings: 6 servings

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4.89 from 9 votes

Ingredients

For the balsamic vinaigrette:

• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp fresh lime or lemon juice
• 3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin preferable
• 1 tsp spicy brown mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp shallots or onion, minced

For the Salad:

• 2/3 cup walnuts raw, roughly chopped
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp bacon fat to coat skillet, reserved from cooking your bacon
• 8 slices nitrate free bacon sugar-free if following Whole30**
• 2-3 fresh nectarines pitted and sliced thin
• 5 oz container fresh baby spinach

Instructions

1. To prepare the dressing, add all ingredients to a sealable container and shake vigorously to combine (or whisk well) chill until ready to serve. Prior to servings, shake again to recombine.
2. In a large heavy skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside.
3. Discard all but about 1 Tbsp bacon fat and use it to coat the bottom of the skillet.
4. Turn the burner to medium heat and add the walnuts, toss to coat. Allow to cook for a minute, then add the salt and cinnamon and stir while cooking another minute or until nicely toasted. Stir and watch closely to avoid burning, once toasted, remove from heat.
5. To assemble the salad, add the spinach to a serving bowl and add the sliced nectarines, toasted walnuts, then crumble the bacon all over. Shake the dressing again before serving and toss with salad once ready to serve. You can add grilled chicken or your favorite protein to make it a meal. Serves 4-6 as a side salad. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

**My favorite sugar-free bacon (Whole30 compliant) is from U.S. Wellness Meats - it happens to be my family's favorite bacon so we use it all the time!

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal

Carbohydrates: 8g

Protein: 6g

Fat: 30g

Saturated Fat: 6g

Cholesterol: 21mg

Sodium: 323mg

Potassium: 342mg

Fiber: 2g

Sugar: 4g

Vitamin A: 2385IU

Vitamin C: 9.3mg

Calcium: 39mg

Iron: 1.3mg

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What I Used to Make My Nectarine Spinach Salad with Bacon & Walnuts:

Want more Paleo and Whole30 friendly salad recipes?  Try one of these!

Grilled Chicken BLT Salad with Peppercorn Ranch

Strawberry Salad with Chicken, Bacon and Orange Balsamic

Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon and Lime Vinaigrette

Tell Me!

Am I the only one who tries to cook EVERYTHING in bacon fat?!

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