Basic Apple Spinach Salad

This Apple Spinach Salad is a scrumptious and wholesome salad that’s excellent for any event. It’s simple sufficient for a weeknight meal, and in addition improbable to please a crowd.

The mixture of candy apples, tart apple cider vinegar, and creamy goat cheese is solely irresistible.

This Apple Spinach Salad Recipe can also be versatile, you possibly can substitute the walnuts for pecans or almonds (or miss the nuts altogether), the goat cheese for feta or cheddar (or vegan cheese), and select your dressing. The recipe under is at all times successful, and you may make changes as wanted.

The salad can also be filled with vitamins, making it an amazing alternative for a wholesome meal.

Substances

• Recent child spinach: Child spinach has a light style and it’s loaded with antioxidants and fiber
• Crimson apple: A crisp purple apple is just not solely excessive in vitamins and fiber, nevertheless it additionally tastes scrumptious when thinly sliced right into a salad. You may as well cube the apple, however I believe the feel of thinly sliced apples right here is improbable.
• Crimson onion: Crimson onions pair splendidly with spinach and apples; if purple onion is just too robust of a taste for you, you possibly can soak the thinly sliced onions in water for 10-Quarter-hour to mellow out their taste. I just like the punchiness of purple onion, however alter it to your liking by soaking them or leaving them out.
• Walnuts: Walnuts add crunch, taste, and diet to your salad. Walnuts are glorious for mind well being and coronary heart well being. Toasting the nuts deepens their taste, however you possibly can skip that step in the event you choose them uncooked.
• Dried cranberries: Dried fruit provides extra great texture to this salad. Cranberries make this a basic Fall-season salad.
• Goat cheese (or contemporary feta): The creaminess and tang of goat cheese or feta is nice right here. Shredded sharp cheddar can also be good. Or, go away it out for a dairy-free salad.
• Dressing: Apple cider vinegarette (recipe under) or balsamic vinegarette are each improbable on an Apple Spinach Salad.

See the detailed recipe within the recipe card under.

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Technique

1. Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium warmth (or in a toaster oven) till aromatic however not overcooked. Do you must toast the nuts? No, you should utilize uncooked nuts, too. Toasting the nuts provides an exquisite deep taste to your salad. If you happen to don’t have time or choose to not toast them you possibly can skip this step.
2. Make the dressing by whisking all the substances within the backside of your serving bowl. You may as well add the dressing substances to a mason jar and shake the substances collectively till emulsified, which is beneficial to do in the event you’re making this salad forward of time to serve later. At all times gown the salad near when it will likely be eaten. It’s okay to decorate the salad as much as an hour forward, you simply don’t need it to sit down too lengthy as a result of the spinach can grow to be soggy.
3. Add all salad substances to the bowl and toss along with the dressing. Tear any massive spinach leaves in half. If you wish to make it fairly to serve, save about 1/3 of the nuts and cheese out then garnish the highest of the salad after it’s tossed.
4. Get the printable recipe within the recipe card under.

Apple Spinach Salad Ideas

• Style your apple earlier than including it to the salad. If it’s tart and never tremendous candy, contemplate making a sweeter salad dressing by doubling the maple syrup (or honey) within the dressing.
• Crimson onions are a basic pairing in an Apple Spinach Salad. If you happen to discover them too punchy/huge on taste, soak the sliced purple onions in room temperature water for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than including them to the salad to mellow out their taste. Or, substitute with inexperienced onions or go away them out if desired.
• For a enjoyable twist, add 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme to the French dressing.
• To make the salad forward of time, assemble the salad with out the dressing and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 24 hours. Once you’re able to serve, add the dressing and toss to coat.
• The recipe written right here makes about 4 entree servings or 8 small servings. Scale up or down as wanted.

Variations & Concepts

• Nuts: I usually use walnuts in an Apple Spinach Salad, however pecans, almonds, or cashews are additionally good right here. If you happen to choose a nut-free recipe, you should utilize sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, or miss the nuts if desired.
• Cheese: Goat cheese is pleasant with apples. Recent feta can also be very nice on this salad, as is a grated or crumbled sharp cheddar. Or, you possibly can miss the cheese to make this salad dairy-free and vegan.
• Apple: There are lots of sorts of apples! I like to decide on a Honey Crisp or good ol’ Gala apple. You should utilize any apple you want on this recipe. I wish to slice them fairly skinny (about 1/8-inch)for the most effective salad texture. And don’t peel your apple. The peel is filled with vitamins and fiber. You may as well use half apple and half pear on this salad, or use all pear to show your Apple Spinach Salad right into a Pear Spinach Salad.
• Cranberries: Dried cranberries add a pleasant taste and texture to this salad. You may as well use raisins or currants, or go away them out in the event you choose.
• Dressing: Apple cider vinegar is a basic pairing with apples, however you possibly can substitute white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar within the recipe under. You may as well swap out the Apple Cider French dressing for Balsamic French dressing, which can also be great on an Apple Spinach Salad.

Beneath is how I make this recipe most frequently. Attempt it as-is or make it your individual. Get pleasure from!

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