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    Apple Spinach Salad

    By Julia | Updated: Nov 23, 2023 | Published: Jan 11, 2023 | 22 Comments

    37.4K shares
    • Facebook2.1K
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    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    20-Minute Apple Spinach Salad with homemade maple-lime mustard dressing will make a healthy and refreshing addition to your favorite weeknight dinner! The addition of fruit, nuts, and cheese elevates this simple spinach salad to a new level. Easy enough to make on weekdays - presentable enough to serve for a special occasion! Serve it as a side, or add protein to turn this into a complete meal.

    Apple Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Goat Cheese in a white bowl.

     

    Simple spinach salad

    This delicious 20-Minute Apple Spinach Salad features basic ingredients, such as red and green apples, baby spinach, pecans, dried cranberries, and goat cheese tossed together with the homemade Maple-Lime Mustard Dressing. You can serve this as a side with just about any main course (chicken, steak, pork, seafood, pasta). Or, add protein and make it a meal. Bring this crowd-pleasing side dish to picnics, potlucks, barbecue parties, and other gatherings with friends and family. Simple enough to make on a busy weekday - fancy enough to serve company! Other simple salads I recommend are spinach salad with parmesan and pine nuts and strawberry spinach salad with bacon and toasted almonds.

    Apple Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Goat Cheese - close-up photo.

    The ingredients

    This simple spinach salad is packed with fiber and features quite a few colorful, healthy, and nutrient-rich ingredients. All of them are simple and can be easily found in most grocery stores making this salad a perfect choice for any day of the week year-round!

    • Apples. I used 1 small red apple (Fuji, you can also use Gala or Honey Crisp) and 1 small green apple (Granny Smith). I did not peel the apples for presentation purposes.
    • Spinach is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. It’s high in fiber and a good source of many vitamins and minerals. Spinach is a great source of vitamins A and C, as well as folic acid, iron, and calcium. I used baby spinach.
    • Dried cranberries.  I used Craisins - their sweetness fits perfectly with the apple spinach salad. You can also use dried figs, blueberries, or cherries. You can plump up the dried fruit by briefly blanching it with hot water.
    • Pecans add crunch and texture to any salad and are packed with fiber and are rich in many nutrients. This includes zinc and Vitamin B1. I like to lightly toast them in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes.
    • Goat cheese adds creaminess.
    • Simple dressing.  Dress this quick and easy apple spinach salad with a delicious homemade dressing made with just 4 ingredients: maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, and lime juice. I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice (not the bottled kind) and extra virgin olive oil. You can use either maple syrup or honey.

    How to make it ahead

    This easy spinach salad is so quick to assemble that it doesn't really need to be made in advance. All you need is 20 minutes in the kitchen. This is a great salad to bring to picnics, potlucks, and barbecue parties and to serve to a large crowd. In this case, you can double or triple the salad ingredients, and it might be helpful to prep some ingredients in advance. Here are my tips:

    • Toast the pecans in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes. Cool them off and keep them in an airtight plastic bag.
    • Prepare the salad dressing up to 3 days in advance and store it refrigerated in a glass mason jar.
    • I do not recommend prepping spinach or apples in advance as you can easily assemble them the day of!
    • The assembly should take only 10 minutes before serving for the best results and freshness.
    • Tip: don't add the pecans, goat cheese, and salad dressing until right before serving to keep the apple spinach salad fresh and to prevent the nuts from getting soggy.

    Variations, substitutions, and recipe notes

    Not only does this easy spinach salad feature really simple and easily accessible ingredients, but it's also an incredibly flexible recipe that you can easily adjust depending on what you have available.

    • Greens. Use your favorite greens with this salad - spinach, arugula, mixed greens, garden greens, and lettuce.
    • Nuts. Dress up an apple spinach salad with your favorite nuts: pecans, walnuts, cashews, or almonds. If using raw nuts, toast them briefly in the oven to make them crunchy. You can also purchase roasted nuts or use candied nuts.
    • Add seeds. Add toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds in addition to the nuts or instead of them.
    • Dried fruit. I used Craisins (dried cranberries). You can also use dried figs, blueberries, or cherries.
    • Cheese. I recommend using goat cheese, feta, or gorgonzola.
    • Salad dressing is made with maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, and lime juice. Maple syrup can be replaced with honey. You can use lemon juice instead of lime juice. I used Dijon mustard, but any mustard will work.

    Apple Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Goat Cheese in a white bowl.

    What to serve with it

    Apple spinach salad will pair well with any main course. Serve it with grilled meats, chicken, steak, seafood, or pasta dishes. Here are a few suggestions:

    • Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Spinach
    • Creamy Spinach Chicken
    • Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    • Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce

    Other spinach salads you might like

    • Strawberry Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Feta, and Pecans
    • Spinach Salad with Peaches and Blueberries
    • Cranberry Spinach Salad with Cashews and Goat Cheese and Lemon-Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Spinach Salad with Mango, Avocado, Blueberries, Strawberries, Cashew Nuts, and Balsamic Vinaigrette
    4.45 from 133 votes

    Apple Spinach Salad

    20-Minute Apple Spinach Salad with homemade maple-lime mustard dressing will make a healthy and refreshing addition to your favorite weeknight dinner! The addition of fruit, nuts, and cheese elevates this simple spinach salad to a new level. Easy enough to make on weekdays - presentable enough to serve for a special occasion! Serve it as a side, or add protein to turn this into a complete meal.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American, Mediterranean
    Servings 6 people
    Calories per serving 357 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    Salad dressing

    • â…“ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1 large lime juice freshly squeezed

    Salad ingredients

    • 6 oz baby spinach
    • 1 cup pecan halves toasted, some of them chopped finely
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • 1 small green apple (Granny Smith), cored and diced
    • 1 small red apple (such as Fuji or Gala), cored and diced
    • â…“ cup goat cheese crumbled
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions 

    Make salad dressing

    • Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Whisk well with a fork, until emulsified. Add more lime juice to taste.

    Assembly

    • I prefer to arrange the salad in individual bowls for presentation purposes.
    • Add spinach to each individual salad bowl. Chop up half of the nuts. Nestle the remaining salad ingredients on top of the spinach.
    • Drizzle with the salad dressing.
    • Alternatively, you can combine all the salad ingredients (except pecans) in a large serving bowl, add the dressing, and toss to combine. Then, top the salad with toasted pecan halves (some of them chopped).

    Notes

    Note about nuts

    • If using raw pecans, toast them in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 5 or 10 minutes until a little bit darker in color and crunchy. Be careful not to burn the nuts.
    • You can also purchase roasted, flavored, or candied pecans. In this case, you don't need to toast them.

    Looking for more THANKSGIVING salads?

    • I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 30 Thanksgiving salads - this collection exclusively features Thanksgiving salads that highlight Autumnal ingredients, such as apples, roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beets, Brussels sprouts, green beans, pecans, cranberries, pears, pomegranates, mandarin oranges, pumpkin seeds, and the list goes on and on! These Fall salads will add freshness, colors, and vibrancy to otherwise heavy and creamy comfort food (stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes) that we often cook for the holidays. These salads would also be perfect for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

    Looking for THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES?

    • I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

    Looking for a complete THANKSGIVING MENU?

    • Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012).

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Apple Spinach Salad
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    357
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    27
    g
    42
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    31
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.002
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    16
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    6
    mg
    2
    %
    Sodium
     
    154
    mg
    7
    %
    Potassium
     
    344
    mg
    10
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    28
    g
    9
    %
    Fiber
     
    5
    g
    21
    %
    Sugar
     
    21
    g
    23
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    2842
    IU
    57
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    14
    mg
    17
    %
    Calcium
     
    81
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    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.

    Keyword apple spinach salad, simple 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!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Liz

      December 13, 2024 at 8:03 am

      Julia, thank you for this wonderful recipe. I am obsessed with ALL of your recipes, you truly have a talent and are so inspiring, not to mention your gorgeous photography! Question regarding this salad - I love goat cheese, feta, and gorgonzola, but my family does not like any of them. Do you think Boursin cheese would work here? Thank you in advance!!!

      Reply
    2. Marilyn

      October 27, 2024 at 4:58 pm

      This was such a delicious salad, made with all the ingredients I like, yet it gives you options for replacements or additions. I especially liked the dressing, light yet extremely flavorful. Thanks for a great option to meat and potatoes!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2024 at 12:52 am

        So happy you made it and enjoyed it! Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Carol Allard

      June 15, 2024 at 2:04 pm

      Loved this salad, the drsg is great I've used it for other salads as well. O ly change was I didn't have cranberries so I used blueberries and a few raisins. Making again tonight for different company.

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 15, 2024 at 7:03 pm

        Hi Carol! I love that you used fresh blueberries instead of dried cranberries - so summery!!

        Reply
    4. Toni Black

      December 17, 2023 at 12:08 pm

      Looks like a light refreshing salad! I’m going to make it today. What’s not to like with so many slight variations.

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 21, 2023 at 2:53 am

        Toni, I hope you loved this salad as much as I did! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Catherine pires

      October 05, 2023 at 4:11 pm

      Absolutely loved the scathalad. How long does the salad dressing last in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 21, 2023 at 7:18 pm

        Catherine, I would keep the salad dressing in the fridge for up to 1 week.

        Reply
    6. CAROL HELLEWELL

      September 27, 2023 at 8:15 am

      omg.. this salad is sensational.. I didn't have spinach so had to use lettuce and used pear instead of apple.. but what a yummy meal.

      Reply
    7. Margie

      September 26, 2023 at 8:42 am

      Made this. It is delish!!!

      Reply
    8. Debra

      September 24, 2023 at 12:34 pm

      I don’t care for goat cheese. What other type of cheese can you use as a replacement?

      Reply
      • Helen

        September 25, 2023 at 3:12 pm

        You could substitute Feta for the goats cheese.

        Reply
    9. Michael Mackin

      May 28, 2023 at 1:39 pm

      Made last night and added some diced chipotle lime chicken breast. Absolutely delicious. The dressing really shines and is simple to make.

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 07, 2023 at 7:30 pm

        Michael, I am so glad you loved the dressing! Love the addition of protein (chicken).

        Reply
    10. Donna Beaton

      April 23, 2023 at 6:44 pm

      Absolutely delicious salad. Made it last week for lunch with a friend and made it again today -- this time with blueberries. I had remaining dressing in a jar and it got more yummy over the few days. A winner! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 07, 2023 at 9:42 pm

        Donna, I am so glad you love this salad. Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂

        Reply
        • Love

          September 23, 2023 at 3:11 pm

          Can’t wait to try with some mandarin oranges and feta! Yum!

          Reply
    11. Kayla K Douglas

      January 13, 2023 at 5:56 pm

      Excellent recipes! Very healthy and tasty!

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 22, 2023 at 4:17 pm

        Kayla, thank you so much! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Queen T

      January 12, 2023 at 11:02 pm

      There is a citrus allergy in my house, what can I substitute for the lime juice?

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 22, 2023 at 4:23 pm

        You can try white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Start with 1 tablespoon and then add more to taste. Enjoy!

        Reply

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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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