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    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    Published: Apr 01, 2015 / 202 Comments

    994.2K shares
    • Facebook2.1K
    Recipe Print

    This is a sponsored post. This post is brought to you by Marzetti® Simply Dressed® and BlogHer.

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    This Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing) is so good, you might as well double the recipe when you're making it! The recipe is filled with so much flavor, that I'm having a hard time finding the right words to describe it but I will try. 🙂 Let's start with the salad ingredients. They are amazing: fresh produce (spinach), combined with fresh fruit, nuts, and dried cranberries:

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    Look how pretty the salad looks when all ingredients are mixed together. Just look at all those natural colors. I love to make salads that use the most vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables:

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    But what really boosts the flavor of this salad and combines all the fresh fruit and the fresh produce together so well is the amazing dressing: Marzetti Simply Dressed Balsamic Vinaigrette. The dressing is so good that my husband, who never eats salads for lunch, ate a whole bowl of it at noon and asked for seconds! Eating a huge amount of salad for lunch is so out-of-the character for my husband that I was shocked.  It is really one of the best tasting store-bought balsamic vinaigrettes that I ever tried!

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    What I also love about this dressing is that it uses a minimal number of simple ingredients, such as extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, etc. It has no MSG, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors added. I see this dressing as a great way to incorporate more fresh green leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, and other produce into my family's diet. Perfect for a fresh lifestyle!

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    There is something else that I really appreciate about this dressing. I am currently gluten free. Naturally, first thing I did was to visit the Marzetti Simply Dressed website, and, lo and behold, all of their dressings (except Ginger Sesame) are clearly marked as gluten-free! Few things in life make me happier these days than seeing a clear gluten free label on a product I like! 🙂

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    Because Marzetti Simply Dressed dressings have no preservatives, they have to be refrigerated, so make sure to look for them in the refrigerated section of grocers’ produce departments. You will definitely find me looking and searching for more flavors of this brand: I really want to try their Champagne Salad Dressing, Pomegranate Salad Dressing, or Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Dressing, to name just a few!

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    Make sure not to add the dressing to the salad until serving time, otherwise the spinach will wilt quickly. Add the dressing right before you’re ready to serve! Also, drizzle just enough dressing to coat the leaves--don’t pour all of it at once--let your taste buds be your guide and use just enough to coat the salad lightly! Enjoy!

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados, and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing in a white bowl
    4.70 from 10 votes

    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

    This Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing) is so good, you might as well double the recipe when you're making it! The recipe features fresh produce (spinach), combined with fresh fruit, nuts, and dried cranberries.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories per serving 385 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 10 oz baby spinach about 10 cups of torn leaves
    • 1 Granny Smith apple sliced
    • 1 Gala apple sliced
    • 1 avocado sliced
    • 1 cup pecan halves
    • 2 mandarin oranges whole fresh, peeled; or 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions 

    • Chop ¼ cup of pecan halves into smaller bites - set aside.
    • In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except for ¼ cup of chopped pecan halves.
    • Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the salad. Serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    385
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    26
    g
    40
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    19
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    15
    g
    Sodium
     
    62
    mg
    3
    %
    Potassium
     
    917
    mg
    26
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    41
    g
    14
    %
    Fiber
     
    11
    g
    46
    %
    Sugar
     
    26
    g
    29
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    7082
    IU
    142
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    41
    mg
    50
    %
    Calcium
     
    117
    mg
    12
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    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.

    Keyword apple spinach salad, cranberry spinach salad
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!

    Note: This post is sponsored by Marzetti and the product has been provided by them. The opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

    How will you use Marzetti Simply Dressed refrigerated salad dressings to make fresh and simple meals for you and your family? Leave a comment below to enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

    Entry Instructions:

    No duplicate comments.

    You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

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    This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

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    This sweepstakes runs from 4/1/2015 – 5/31/2015.

    Be sure to visit the Marzetti® Simply Dressed® brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

     

     

    This is a sponsored post. This post is brought to you by Marzetti® Simply Dressed® and BlogHer.

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    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joye

      April 06, 2022 at 11:04 am

      I made this last night and my husband kept telling me how much he hated cooked spinach. I kept assuring him fresh spinach was different. He about licked the bowl clean he loved this so much and told me I could "put it in the rotation" for dinners. I used candied pecans and eliminated the oranges and avocado as I'm not a fan. I also added grilled chicken for protein and home made croutons. Definitely a keeper.

      Reply
      • Julia

        April 24, 2022 at 8:24 pm

        Joye, your comment made my day and made me smile at the same time! 🙂 I am so flattered! Thank you for sharing this story about your husband - I loved it! Love that you used candied pecans and added grilled chicken for protein! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Ro zina

      October 11, 2021 at 7:31 pm

      What a tasty, colourful Salad! We made it for the Canadian Thanksgiving which is in October,Thank You!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 11, 2021 at 8:58 pm

        I am so glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Thank you for the comment!

        Reply
    3. Carmen

      December 21, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      Súper,the best salad

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 21, 2020 at 11:15 pm

        Carmen, I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for your comment!

        Reply
    4. Eva

      August 02, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      Making this tonight for my hubby. I’m pretty sure he will love it! Is so easy and simple to make! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 28, 2019 at 8:46 pm

        You are very welcome! Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Helen

      March 10, 2019 at 9:46 am

      I made this salad for a Birthday party and everyone loved it , the dressing was amazing with it! Thank so much making it again!!!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 25, 2019 at 7:01 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for such a wonderful comment!

        Reply
    6. Jo

      June 26, 2018 at 10:42 am

      Tried the recipe, it really looks good but in my opinion the dressing doesn't match
      with the flavor of the veggies combination!

      Reply
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