Enjoy a vibrant Spinach Salad bursting with crisp apples, tangy red onion, sweet cranberries, creamy feta, crunchy bacon, and honeyed pecans, all drizzled in a zesty & simple apple-Dijon vinaigrette.
Spinach Salad
After experimenting with apple pies and cobbler for my husband’s birthday, I used the leftover apples for somethings a little healthier: this delicious Spinach Salad. This sweet-savory blend features crisp apples, sweetened cranberries, bacon, and red onion.
It’s versatile as a filling meal or a light side, and can be enhanced with grilled chicken or steak. Its vibrant colors and flavors are ideal for festive occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas, and it’s a definite pick for my holiday table.
Ingredients
- Spinach, Apples, Red Onion: Spinach provides a fresh base, apples add sweet crunch, and red onion brings tangy sharpness.
- Candied Pecans: Offer a sweet, nutty crunch to your spinach salad.
- Dried Cranberries: Contribute a chewy, sweet burst.
- Feta Cheese: Adds a creamy, salty touch.
- Bacon: Provides a savory, smoky crunch.
The dressing combines:
- Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil: Vinegar adds tang, while olive oil offers richness.
- Maple Syrup, Dijon Mustard: Syrup brings sweetness, and mustard adds a sharp depth.
How To Make Spinach Salad
- Prepare: Cook and chop bacon; slice apples and red onion.
- Dressing: Shake together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a jar.
- Assemble: Combine spinach, apples, onion, pecans, cranberries, feta, and bacon in a bowl.
- Dress and Serve: Drizzle with dressing, toss, and serve immediately.
Storage
Storage
- Separate Components: Keep ingredients like spinach, apples, onion, pecans, cranberries, feta, and bacon in individual containers.
- Dressing: Store separately in a jar. Shake before using.
- Assemble Just Before Serving: Combine ingredients and add dressing to your spinach salad right before eating to maintain freshness.
Use Additional Spinach In
Besides this amazing salad, here are some of the other ways we like to use it:
- Chicken Spinach Salad
- Green Smoothie
- Chicken and Spinach Pasta Salad
- Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
- Chicken and Spinach Gnocchi
Spinach Salad
Enjoy a vibrant Spinach Salad bursting with crisp apples, tangy red onion, sweet cranberries, creamy feta, crunchy bacon, and honeyed pecans, all drizzled in a zesty & simple apple-Dijon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups (5.5 oz) baby spinach
- 2 large apples (See Note 1)
- 1/2 of 1 small red onion (See Note 2)
- 1 cup candied or honey-roasted pecans (See Note 3)
- 2/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 6 slices bacon
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- PREP: Cook the bacon and chop into small pieces. Thinly slice or chop the apples and red onion.
- PREPARE THE DRESSING: Add all ingredients to a Mason jar, cover with the lid, and vigorously shake to combine. Taste and adjust for personal preference on seasonings (salt and pepper). Refrigerate until ready to eat and shake once more before dressing the salad.
- SALAD ASSEMBLY: Add spinach, apples, red onion, pecans, and dried cranberries to a large salad bowl.
- DRESS THE SALAD: Drizzle the dressing only on what will be enjoyed the same day. (Once dressed, this salad doesn't sit well.) Toss salad to coat in dressing. Add the feta cheese (add more to personal preference) and chopped bacon. Toss once more and serve salad immediately.
- MAKE AHEAD/STORAGE: If you want to prepare this salad in advance or store leftovers, I recommend measuring out and then storing ingredients separately in plastic bags or small containers and tossing them together right before serving. The one ingredient I don't recommend preparing more than an hour ahead of time is the apples. The dressing can be made (and stored) in a Mason jar 2-3 days in advance. Shake up to re-combine before topping the salad. (If the dressing hardens or clumps, this is totally normal -- it's just the olive oil solidifying at cold temperatures. Let the dressing stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes and then shake it up and it's ready to go!)
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Core the apples and thinly slice or chop them into small pieces. I use 1 Fuji or Honeycrisp apple and 1 Granny Smith apple, but any variety of apples will do. It's a nice flavor variation to add two different types of apples.
Note 2: You can dice the onion or thinly slice. To take away the "bite" of the red onion (make it milder): submerge the sliced or chopped onions in a bowl of cold or ice water. Let them sit for at least ten minutes, stirring 2-3 times, and then drain and use in this salad.
Note 3: Typically I buy pre-made honey roasted pecan pieces that are "ready for salads" (made by Fresh Gourmet). You can also roast your own nuts or add them in plain!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 753kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 651mg | Potassium: 2105mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 33366IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 454mg | Iron: 11mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe and dressing were amazing! I just made it for my family and even my two boys gobbled it down. I believe it is possible the previous commenter may have used apple cider vinegar that was bad maybe? My dressing was very sweet and we only used the one TBS of maple syrup. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I made this salad tonight and followed directions to a T. The apple cider vinaigrette is terrible. I tasted the dressing before I put it on the salad; I felt that the dijon mustard taste was too prominent, so I added more maple syrup, tasted it, added more maple syrup, tasted, and added more maple syrup, and it was still really was pretty bad. And it’s not that I like things that are too sweet, but this salad needs a sweeter dressing!
Bummer! So sorry you didn’t enjoy this dressing, it is one of our favorites, and I’m so sorry it wasn’t a hit for you. Did you try the dressing with the salad? The sweetness of the apples adds to overall sweetness