Spinach Salad with Bacon and Buttermilk-Blue Cheese Dressing

• Recipe by Vitaly Paley

Paley uses crinkly spinach leaves instead of shredded iceberg lettuce in his satisfying version of the classic Cobb salad because he thinks they add more flavor. For the dressing, he favors a pungent, creamy blue cheese like Roquefort, Point Reyes Original Blue, Rogue River or Maytag.

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup buttermilk
2. 1/4 cup sour cream
3. 1 small shallot, minced
4. 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
5. 3 ounces Roquefort or other blue cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 1/2 pound lean slab bacon, sliced 1/4 inch thick and cut crosswise into thin strips
8. 3/4 pound spinach, large stems discarded
9. 1 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
10. 2 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the sour cream, shallot and cider vinegar. Stir in the blue cheese. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
3. In a very large bowl, toss the spinach with the red onion and bacon, then toss with the dressing. Mound the salad on plates, top with the eggs and serve.

Make Ahead

The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.