The two major components of this Spring salad are both vegetables. Even though rhubarb is often thought of and treated as a fruit, it is botanically classified as a vegetable, since it is a part of the plant (the stem) and not the seed bearing portion of the plant. Along with rhubarb, spinach is also abundant, fresh, and in-season right now.
My rhubarb plant is not established enough to produce the abundance of stalks needed to safely harvest from it without damaging the plant. And while I have been checking the produce section of the local grocery stores for the past month, it was just this past week that I was able to find rhubarb in the store. With this recipe in mind, we also picked up some fresh spinach.
Eric typically prefers rhubarb in some sort of baked treat. And while he agreed to try the salad, he wasn’t expecting to enjoy it. But he did, as did Andrew and I when we made it for our weekly meal together. This salad will be part of our “Welcome, Spring!” menu for years to come!
Rhubarb & spinach Salad
Rhubarb & Spinach Salad (adapted from allrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 35 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 15 minutes, 
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces fresh spinach, washed, stemmed, and dried
- 2 large stalks of rhubarb, cut diagonally into thin slices
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Arrange the spinach leaves on a platter.
Place the rhubarb in a skillet with enough water to cover it by 1 inch. Add the sugar to the skillet. Bring the rhubarb to a gentle boil over medium-low heat and simmer it until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb is lightly cooked, about 2 minutes.
Cook the rhubarb and sugar in water.
Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and distribute it over the spinach.
Transfer the rhubarb to the bed of spinach.
Stir the vinegar into the liquid left in the skillet. Over medium heat, bring the vinegar mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid has reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes.
Add the vinegar to the cooking liquid and reduce it.
Remove the mixture from the heat, and whisk in the olive oil. Pour the hot dressing over the spinach and rhubarb to wilt the spinach.
Pour the hot dressing over the salad
Serve the salad warm.
Serve immediately!
This warm salad is perfect for the sometimes cool weather of Spring! ~Linda
Rhubarb & Spinach Salad (adapted from allrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 35 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 15 minutes, Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces fresh spinach, washed, stemmed, and dried
- 2 large stalks of rhubarb, cut diagonally into thin slices
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Arrange the spinach leaves on a platter.
Place the rhubarb in a skillet with enough water to cover it by 1 inch. Add the sugar to the skillet. Bring the rhubarb to a gentle boil over medium-low heat and simmer it until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb is lightly cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and distribute it over the spinach.
Stir the vinegar into the liquid left in the skillet. Over medium heat, bring the vinegar mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid has reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat, and whisk in the olive oil. Pour the hot dressing over the spinach and rhubarb to wilt the spinach. Serve the salad warm.