Salads are a staple in our house. But Alex and I often fall into the trap of thinking the salad is the “easy” part and save it until the last minute. When it’s too late, we realize it has more prep work than we imagined! So when it comes to our favorite salads, they’re ultra simple. Might we present: our new favorite go-to that will become your favorite too. Spinach apple salad! It’s got a tangy balsamic dressing and crunchy maple-glazed walnuts (or pecans). No one will believe it took only minutes to put together! It’s that good.
What makes this a great spinach apple salad?
There are so many boring spinach salads, and this one is anything but! It doesn’t have fancy ingredients or flavors, but it’s got seriously good flavor and you can make it in minutes. It’s a plant based, healthy side dish that pairs with anything from pizza to mac and cheese to salmon to lasagna. Here are the elements that make this one great salad:
Best balsamic dressing: This dressing is our go-to! It’s tangy and sweet, and we use it often in green salads with fruit, like strawberry salad or blackberry salad.Maple-glazed walnuts or glazed pecans: These are Alex’s genius: just a few minutes in a hot skillet with maple syrup makes the nuts shiny and lightly sweet. Or, make Candied Pecans or Candied Walnuts if you have the time!Apple & pear: Instead of straight apple, we threw in a pear for depth of sweet flavor. Spinach & baby greens: A salad of straight up spinach can be overwhelming. We like to pair our spinach with mixed baby greens for a variety of textures and flavors. (Got some left over? See our top spinach recipes!)
Customize it!
Of course, there are endless ways to customize this spinach apple salad! You can use whatever ingredients you love and have on hand. Pro tip: We added cubed Manchego cheese and served it at a party, and it was a huge hit. Here are some other options to consider:
Dressing: Try our Honey Mustard Dressing or Lemon VinaigretteNuts: Use pecans or almonds instead: they’d work the same way in the maple glazeFruit: Lose the pear and use a green apple variety with the red apple, like Granny Smith and Honey CrispOther Adders: Add feta or goat cheese crumbled, sliced shallot, pepitas or sunflower seeds.
How to prep this spinach apple salad in advance
Here are a few notes on how to prep this spinach apple salad ahead of time, if you’re making it ahead or for entertaining:
Make the dressing in advance and store it refrigerated. Make sure to let it come to room temperature before serving. Make the maple-glazed walnuts in advance. Place them on parchment or wax paper in a single layer and allow to dry for 20 minutes. Transfer to a sealed container and store room temperature until serving. Wait to slice the apples and pears until right before serving, because cut fruit can brown. If you do want to cut it in advance, mix the slices with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
Serving this salad!
It’s easy to whip up, but this spinach apple salad is a real showstopper. Serve it alongside your favorite pasta or stuffed peppers. It’d also pair nicely with baked salmon, or even homemade pizza. This spinach apple salad is especially good in the cooler months, as it features lots of fall produce. But works any time of the year! Whatever way you serve it, we’re sure you’ll fall in love with it. We promise.
This spinach apple salad recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Looking for more salad recipes?
Outside of this spinach apple salad, here are a few of our favorite salads on A Couple Cooks: 5 from 6 reviews
The BEST Kale SaladPerfect Caesar SaladHow to Make Healthy Salad DressingSimple Citrus SaladWatermelon Salad with Feta & CucumberStrawberry Spinach SaladWedge Salad with Potato ChipsFavorite Potato SaladRadish Chopped Salad RecipeMassaged Kale Salad with PomegranateCalifornia Salad with Avocado Oil VinaigretteStrawberry Salad with Balsamic VinaigretteCabbage Salad with Apples & WalnutsSouthwest SaladPea Salad with Lemon DressingHealthy Potato Salad with Hard Boiled EggEveryday Mediterranean SaladBeet and Apple SaladFrench Potato SaladEasy Salad Bar Ideas
Last updated: November 2019
