Name: Baby spinach & bacon bistro salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 140g fine green bean; 4 tbsp olive oil; 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon chopped into small pieces; 2 thick slices crustless white bread cut into cubes; 200g mushroom sliced; 1 avocado halved and sliced; 250g baby spinach; 1 small garlic clove crushed; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

140g fine green bean
4 tbsp olive oil
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
chopped into small pieces
2 thick slices crustless white bread
cut into cubes
200g mushroom
sliced
1 avocado
halved and sliced
250g baby spinach

For the dressing

1 small garlic clove
crushed
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method

step 1
Mix the dressing ingredients together with 1 tbsp water and season with salt and pepper. Boil the beans for 3 mins until just cooked, drain in cold water, then drain again.
step 2
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then sizzle the bacon for 4 mins until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the bacon into a large salad bowl. Use the fat in the pan to fry the bread cubes until crisp, then tip them in with the bacon. Tip a splash more oil into the pan, very briefly fry the mushrooms just to rid them of their rawness, then turn off the heat. When the mushrooms have cooled slightly, tip them into the salad bowl along with the beans and avocado. Moments before serving, add the spinach and dressing, then toss really well so everything is coated.