Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Cashews and Balsamic Vinaigrette - healthy, delicious, easy-to-make salad! With lots of good for you ingredients, this recipe is packed with fiber, and it's gluten free! It's a great salad to make whenever you have spinach and apples, any time of the year. But this salad is definitely a great choice for the holidays, too, especially for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve.
I love using nuts in fresh salads, and cashews are often my favorite choice, as in this Cranberry Spinach Salad with Cashews and Goat Cheese and Lemon-Honey Poppy Seed Dressing or in this Strawberry Spinach Salad, with Blueberries, Mango, Avocado, and Cashew nuts. Cashews add so much flavor and a nice crunch to any salad.
Tips
- Grind half of cashews into smaller bits, and keep the other half of cashews whole. This adds more texture to the salad and make a pretty presentation.
- Use 1 green apple and 1 red apple, for color. In this recipe I use 1 sliced Granny Smith apple and 1 sliced Gala apple.
- Use store-bought or homemade balsamic dressing. Creamy balsamic dressing will work as well as balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
How to make apple cranberry spinach salad
Just slice up the apples (one Gala apple and one Granny Smith apple). Then combine with other salad ingredients, such as spinach, cashew nuts, and cranberries. Do not add the salad dressing yet.
Next, add the Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (the creamy kind) right before serving:
Apple Cranberry Spinach Cashew Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 1 Granny Smith apple sliced
- 1 Gala apple sliced
- 1 cup cashew nuts
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Salad dressing
- ¼ cup mayo
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey or more, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients, except for the salad dressing.
- In a mason jar, combine all salad dressing ingredients, and whisk to emulsify with a fork. Taste, and add more mayo for more creaminess, if desired. Add more honey for more sweetness, if desired.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss. Serve immediately. You don't have to use the whole amount of salad dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Delicious! I may try it with other nuts, too.
Sue, I am so glad you loved this salad!!
Made this salad last night to have with Julia’s “Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage” and it was a match made in heaven. I drizzled just a little lemon juice over the apples before adding them to the salad so they would be nice and fresh for lunch leftovers today. So good!
Brenda, thank you for reminding me and anybody who wants to make this salad to toss sliced apples in lemon juice to prevent them from browning! ❤️❤️ It's a great tip for salads like this! And, I am so glad you loved my butternut squash orzo as well! 🙂
Hello the recipe says use “creamy kind” of balsamic…there is a link to a homemade balsamic vinaigrette recipe…..is that the creamy one you are referring to?
Opal, what I actually meant is the dressing similar to this one:
https://www.target.com/p/briannas-american-dressing-12fl-oz/-/A-47110805#lnk=sametab
P.S. This recipe is long overdue for the update and I need to post the homemade balsamic dressing recipe here instead.
What kind of cheese would you put on this salad?? Blue cheese???
Blue cheese or Gorgonzola would be delicious with apples and spinach - I do that all the time. I think goat cheese will be great too!
YES!!
There are many new “healthy nut and seed mixes on sale for Christmas 2020. Perhaps 1 of those would work. Was buying stocking stuffers for Hubs on Amazon, when I came across pages of them, by entering nut mixes. I agree on the cranberry issue too. A serving of a lightly sweetened Cranberry Orange Relish, or Cran-Raspberry Relish would provide a flavor contrast to the sweet fruit and earthy nuts and seeds. A Vinaigrette from a Cranberry Juice of choice, or Cranberry Wine, would work. Or leave the Cranberries out and use Pomegranates instead. Then you could use the fruit Vinaigrette or a Cranberry Wine. You could also serve it with a Sweet Riesling, or even a Sweeter Champagne. Mandarin sections, skinned or un skinned would work, or pineapple. Blueberries, or Raspberries as a colorful garnish, Citrus Zest Curls. These salads have infinite possibilities. Merry Christmas.
MaryAnn, I just love your feedback! So many great ideas! I myself like to use nut and seed mixes in salads. I think many of those flavored nuts and seeds go really well in salads. My recent favorites are caramelized pecans. Love the idea of using cranberry relish, as well. Pomegranates are a great addition, too!
How do you keep the apples from turning brown?
I would slice and add the apples right before serving the salad.
Apples, pears, peaches stay fresh using FruitFresh. Find it in the grocery near canning supplies.
You can also dip them in orange juice and they will not turn brown!
Janet, excellent advice! Thank you!
Honey crisp apples don't turn brown & they would be a great substitute for the gala. You can also place the sliced apples in a strainer & rinse them with fresh lemon juice to preserve the color
Rachel, great tips! I never knew that about honey crisp apples!
I like to make this salad in the winter.
Perfect salad for the cold season!
Perfecto!
Hi Julia, this is the perfect salad for the holidays, everyone loves spinach and this combination of add-ons sounds delicious.