Spinach Salad with crisp apples, tangy red onion, sweet cranberries, creamy feta, crunchy bacon, and candied pecans, tossed in a delicious apple-Dijon dressing.
Spinach Salad
After baking our favorite apple pie and cobbler, I had some leftover apples and decided to make something lighter—this Spinach Salad!
It’s the perfect mix of sweet and savory with crisp apples, cranberries, bacon, and red onion. And this salad is a total showstopper! It’s gorgeous and always a hit for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas
Whether you serve it as a main dish or a side, it’s easy to customize with grilled chicken or steak.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Spinach Salad Recipe:
- Spinach: Pre-washed spinach saves time. Look for fresh, vibrant greens in the bag.
- Apples: Mix a sweet apple with a tart one for more flavor.
- Red onion: Don’t like it? Leave it out. To make it milder, soak in cold water before adding.
- Pecans: Honey-roasted or candied pecans add a sweet crunch.
- Cranberries: They add sweetness, or try tart dried cherries for a fun twist.
- Feta: Crumbled feta brings creamy, tangy flavor.
- Bacon: In a rush? Use microwave bacon or bake it for less clean-up.
Spinach Salad Dressing
This dressing is super easy to make and tastes amazing! The key is using high-quality ingredients.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds a tangy, fruity flavor. Shake well before using.
- Olive oil: Use extra virgin for the best flavor.
- Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup gives a natural sweetness. Honey can be used too.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a bit of tang to balance the sweetness.
How To Make Spinach Salad
- Cook Bacon: Fry or bake, then dice.
- Make Dressing: Shake all ingredients in a jar and chill until ready to use.
- Chop Ingredients: Slice apples and onion.
- Assemble Salad: Add spinach, apples, onion, pecans, cranberries, and bacon.
- Dress & Serve: Toss with dressing, add feta, and serve right away.
Storage
Spinach Salad Storage And Make Ahead
- Keep Separate: Store spinach, apples, onion, pecans, cranberries, feta, and bacon in separate containers.
- Dressing: Store in a jar and shake before using.
- Assemble Last: Add dressing and toss the salad right before serving for freshness.
Use Additional Spinach In:
Aside from this amazing salad, here are a few other ways I love to use the leftovers:
- Chicken Spinach Salad with a balsamic dressing
- Green Smoothie with pineapple!
- Chicken and Spinach Pasta Salad with a citrus dressing
- Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with loads of veggies!
- Chicken and Spinach Gnocchi made in one pan
Spinach Salad
This fresh Spinach Salad has it all—crisp apples, sweet cranberries, red onion, feta, bacon, and honeyed pecans—tossed with a zesty apple-Dijon-style dressing.
Equipment
- Wide-mouth glass jar or other sealable container
- Large bowl for serving
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 large apples see note 1
- 1/2 of 1 small red onion see note 2
- 6 cups (5.5-ounces) baby spinach
- 1 cup candied pecans see note 3
- 2/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook and dice bacon. Thinly slice the apples and red onion.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Shake well and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake again before adding to the salad.
- In a large bowl, combine spinach, bacon, apples, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and feta.
- This salad is best served immediately after it’s dressed, so wait to add dressing until you’re ready to serve (see note 4). Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Add additional dressing to taste, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Use 1 Fuji or Honeycrisp and 1 Granny Smith apple for a nice flavor contrast.
Note 2: To mellow the onion, soak it in ice water for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain.
Note 3: Store-bought honey-roasted pecans are convenient, but you can also candy your own or use plain.
Note 4: Make-Ahead/Storage Tips: If making ahead, store ingredients separately and assemble just before serving. For prepping apples ahead, check the tips in this post. The dressing can be made 2–3 days in advance and kept in a jar in the fridge. If it separates, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then shake well before using.
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