Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Aug. 17, 2022
Salad season is well underway, and spinach is of the best ways to get super greens into your diet. We’re spicing things up with this Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad, full of festive Mexican flavors. It’s Mexican gourmet made easy. Sure doesn’t feel like “just a salad” here.
We have been on a roll with our Gourmet Club. I’ve talked about Gourmet Club a lot where we enjoy dishes like this mahi mahi with mango salsa, so I won’t go into detail about it here.
With our last Gourmet Club shindig, we all tested our culinary boundaries and went Gourmet Mexican. The first thought in everyone’s heads were What in the world am I going to make?
Hubby and I were no exception. I mean, we know our carnitas from years of living near the border in Cali, but gourmet Mexican? That’s a bit trickier.
So. We’ve done the Chicago trips and I watch my cooking shows. Nobody does it like Rick Bayless when it comes to gourmet Mexican fare. Admittedly, some of his creations sound totally offbeat. But absolutely deliciously, mouthwateringly so…
Gourmet dinner night turned out 100% awesome. From the appetizer to the dessert, we had some serious fun with the food.
I couldn’t believe how tasty this Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad was. Teeming with Mexican chorizo sausage (hello, I could eat that by itself) in a flavorful sauce, this salad presents like a meal’s meal.
A man’s meal, even. Not sure what that even means, but what I know is that the men devoured their salads.
This Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad is so flavorful and hearty with its saucy chorizo and Mexican queso fresco (cheese), it doesn’t require any additional dressing. Not a drop.
My favorite part of this salad is that it’s easily prepared ahead of time, so if you’re serving it to dinner guests, it’s a fuss free gig.
Just cook up the chorizo mixture and set it aside until ready for mixing into the spinach. If you like your spinach slightly wilted, simply give the chorizo mixture a little nuke until it’s warm before letting it hit the greens.
Here’s to the last couple weeks of spring and many more salads that are worth the eat. Enjoy!
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Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz or 1 packed cup of Mexican chorizo sausage, no casings.
- 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
- 3 TB olive oil, plus more if needed
- 2 TB seasoned rice vinegar, found in Asian aisle of stores
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- table salt to taste
- 8 oz baby spinach leaves
- ½ small jicama, peeled and cut into quarter-inch cubes
- Mexican queso fresco for topping
- Pepitas, roasted pumpkin seeds for topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook and break up the chorizo over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until mostly cooked. Add onion and continue stirring until onions start to soften but remain somewhat crisp, 5 minutes.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the oil, vinegar, sugar, and 2 TB water. Stir to incorporate, adding a dash or two more of oil and vinegar if it seems too dry. Season with salt to taste.
- At this point, chorizo mixture may be transferred to an airtight container until ready to serve. When ready to serve, reheat the chorizo mixture in microwave until it's warm. Pour warm mixture over spinach and jicama. Toss to combine.
- Serve in individual plates, topping each plate with crumbled Mexican queso fresco and pepitas.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Source: Chew Out Loud, adapted from Rick Bayless
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