Wilted Spinach Salad

This wilted spinach salad baths baby spinach, cannellini beans, and quick-pickled onions in a warm Dijon vinaigrette. This protein and nutrition-packed warm spinach salad is finished with crunchy walnuts and tangy goat cheese—for a filling healthy dish that's main-meal worthy.

When it comes to salads it's common to pair spinach with fruit like in this Strawberry Spinach Salad, but this time I wanted to capture the springtime sweetness of spinach and pair it with big robust flavors like walnuts, dijon, goat cheese, and pickled onion to create this wilted spinach salad.

The nutrient-rich greens keep their freshness and delicate crunch, while their tender, more savory elements are given a chance to shine when they wilt a bit from the warm garlic-forward dijon vinaigrette. 

Warming a vinaigrette is the perfect way to ‘wake up’ and elevate flavors in dressings. The warmth gently wilts some of the spinach without reducing it or making it watery. As a bonus, the cannellini beans soak up the delicious flavors from the vinaigrette like a sponge!

I serve the wilted spinach and beans with tangy quick-pickled red onions for balance, toasted walnuts for crunch and subtle bitterness, rich and creamy goat cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped tarragon. 

Table of Contents

1. What is in Wilted Spinach Salad?
1. Ingredients for Quick-pickled onions:
2. For the Dressing:
3. For the Salad:
2. How to Make Wilted Spinach Salad
1. Get Your Ingredients Ready
2. Wilt the Spinach
3. Finish and Serve
3. Ways to Make This Warm Spinach Salad Your Own
4. What to Serve with Warm Spinach Salad
5. Love Spinach? Try These Recipes
6. Wilted Spinach Salad Recipe

What is in Wilted Spinach Salad?

The lemony beans were inspired by my obsession with the combination of cannellini beans, garlic, and lemon since watching Nigella Lawson make white bean mash many years ago. The addictive combo is a match made in heaven! 

Ingredients for Quick-pickled onions:

You can double (or quadruple!) the quick-pickle red onions and store them in the pickling liquid in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 1 week (they lose their bite after that). They are delicious in sandwiches, salads, pita wraps, or with a cheese board.

• Red onion is quick-pickled to soften its bite but still retains the crispness (due to the short pickling time).
• Apple cider vinegar adds a sour tang and some sweetness.
• Honey enhances the sweetness in the pickled onion and dressing. Use a high-quality honey with a delicate flavor, like our Greek Alfa Honey. 
• Tarragon infuses the onions with a sweet, herbal, licorice-like flavor.
• Kosher salt Rounds off all the flavors in the pickling liquid.

For the Dressing:

• Reserved pickling liquid infuses the onion and tarragon flavor into the dressing.
• Apple cider vinegar brings sweetness from the apple and the full hit of acidity to complement the pickling liquid.
• Dijon mustard brings creaminess and subtle heat to the dressing.
• Honey rounds off the acidity with its sweetness. 
• Red pepper flakes add a punchiness and subtle spice, which works well with the creamy beans and sweet spinach. 
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper round off the astringent elements of the dressing. 
• Extra-virgin olive oil is the base of the dressing. Use a high-quality extra virgin variety, like our buttery Arbequina. 
• Garlic cloves marry the savory spinach and creamy beans.

For the Salad:

• Baby spinach is warmed with the dressing, removing the rawness and softening the subtle bitterness. 
• Cannellini beans are rich in protein, bringing sustenance and creamy deliciousness to the salad. 
• Lemon zest is the perfect accompaniment to the cannellini beans, bringing zestiness to the creaminess. 
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper lightly season the beans. 
• Goat cheese brings richness and creaminess. Simply leave it off for a dairy-free version, or for a low-lactose version replace with freshly shaved Parmesan. 
• Walnut halves and pieces bring a subtle bitterness and crunch to the party! 
• Tarragon leaves are finely chopped and sprinkled over the finished salad as a nod to the tarragon-infused quick-pickled onions. 

How to Make Wilted Spinach Salad

The pickled onions need about 30 minutes to soften, so we’ll start there—and feel free to make them up to 6 days ahead, and use as needed. When it comes to the vinaigrette, just wait to warm it and dress the spinach until you’re ready to serve. Here are the steps:

Get Your Ingredients Ready

• Make the quick-pickled onions. To a jar with a lid, add ½ thinly sliced red onion, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, and 3 tablespoons of water. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, cover, and vigorously shake well. Set aside to let the flavors meld for 30 minutes, shaking every 10 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of pickling liquid for the dressing, then drain the onions and set aside. 
• Meanwhile, toast the nuts. In a dry medium skillet over medium heat, add ¾ cup shelled walnut pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 6 minutes, then transfer to a plate to cool. 
• Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of reserved pickling liquid, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Set the bowl near the stovetop. 
• Ready the spinach. In a large bowl, add 10 ounces baby spinach. Have some cling wrap close by (or a tight-fitting lid for the bowl).

Wilt the Spinach

• Warm the dressing. Give the skillet you used to toast the walnuts a quick wipe with a paper towel if there’s any residue. Return it to medium heat and warm ⅓ cup olive oil until shimmering. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and stir continuously until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Over the heat, vigorously whisk in the dressing mixture until emulsified. Whisk continuously until the dressing is hot and bubbling at the edges. 
• Wilt the spinach. Remove from heat and pour the dressing over the spinach, keeping about 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Immediately cover the bowl well with plastic wrap or a lid. Give the bowl a shake to toss the spinach in the dressing. Set the covered bowl aside to allow the dressing to warm the spinach.
• Warm the cannellini beans. Add the beans to the remaining dressing in the skillet over medium heat and carefully stir occasionally (making sure you do not mash up the beans) until the beans are hot, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and quickly stir in the zest of 1 lemon, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Immediately add to the bowl with the spinach (do not stir) and quickly cover with plastic wrap to help retain the heat, giving the bowl a shake to toss the beans and spinach. Allow to sit for 3 minutes.

Finish and Serve

• Assemble and serve the salad. Transfer the spinach and cannellini beans to a serving platter or salad bowl, layering them with the pickled red onions and 4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese. Top the warm spinach salad with the toasted walnuts and ½ tablespoon finely chopped tarragon. Serve immediately.

Ways to Make This Warm Spinach Salad Your Own

You can swap out some ingredients to suit your taste or what’s available in your fridge, pantry, or store. Here are some ideas for alternatives and substitutes:

• Red onion: Shallots or sweet Vidalia onions. Thinly slice enough for ¾ cup.
• Apple cider vinegar: Red wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar.
• Walnuts: Any toasted nut of your choice, like pecans or almonds. 
• Dijon mustard: Use any mustard of your choice, although I don't recommend English mustard as it is very spicy! 
• Red pepper flakes: Aleppo pepper–learn all about Aleppo pepper in our guide, What is Aleppo Pepper and How to Use It, and try it at our shop. 
• Baby spinach: Baby kale.
• Cannellini beans: Any canned white bean or chickpeas.
• Goat cheese: Feta crumbles are a perfect substitute. For a dairy-free version, simply leave out the cheese. For a low-lactose version, replace with freshly shaved Parmesan. 
• Tarragon: Dried tarragon. Add 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon to the pickling liquid, and in ½ teaspoon dried tarragon to the dressing. 

What to Serve with Warm Spinach Salad

Spinach is a Mediterranean favorite. You only have to look at Greek Spanakopita, Turkish Gözleme or the much-loved Middle Eastern Fatayer to see just a few ways this leafy green is enjoyed.

Simlar to the previously mentioned dishes, this wilted spinach salad can hold its own for lunch, or a perfect vegetarian appetizer—but also goes well served alongside Grilled Skirt Steak, or any comforting dish, such as Lentil Stew. A crisp, cold glass of Chablis would go exceptionally well with this salad.

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