This easy spinach salad recipe is a fresh, delicious side dish! It's filled with apples, dried cranberries, and pecans. A tangy dressing ties it all together.
This spinach salad recipe is simple, fresh, and delicious. A version of my mom’s favorite salad, it’s filled with crisp apples, dried cranberries, red onion, creamy goat cheese, and toasty candied pecans. A bright apple cider vinaigrette ties it all together. *Chef’s kiss*
This fall, I’ve been making it on repeat. To be totally honest, that’s a bit out of character for me, because I’m not always a fan of spinach salad recipes (something about the texture of the greens, I think).
So you should trust me when I say that THIS spinach salad really works. It’s sweet, tangy, and savory, and it features a mouthwatering blend of tender, crisp, and chewy components. In my book, it’s the perfect easy side dish or light lunch. I think you’re going to love it!
Spinach Salad Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy spinach salad recipe:
- Fresh spinach, of course! I love tender baby spinach here, but mature spinach will work too. Tear the leaves if they are large.
- Apple – It adds refreshing crunch. Use a sweet, crisp variety like Gala or Honeycrisp.
- Red onion – For savory flavor. Thinly slice it so that it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.
- Candied pecans – These sweet, spiced nuts are easy to make on the stove, but if you’d like to streamline the recipe, you can use regular toasted pecans instead.
- Goat cheese – For creamy texture and tangy flavor. Shaved pecorino is great here too.
- Dried cranberries – They add chewy texture and sweet-tart flavor.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Spinach Salad Dressing
This spinach salad recipe has one last component: the dressing!
I make an apple cider vinaigrette with
- apple cider vinegar,
- honey or maple syrup,
- garlic,
- Dijon mustard,
- extra-virgin olive oil,
- and salt and pepper.
Its tangy flavor is a lovely complement to the sweet apples and candied pecans.
To make it, just add the dressing ingredients to a jar, secure the lid, and shake to combine. So easy!
- Tip: This dressing keeps well for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Make it ahead so that the salad is extra-quick to assemble!
Possible Recipe Variations
This spinach salad recipe is flexible! Though I love it as written, there are all sorts of ways to change it up. Feel free to make it your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap the dressing. Try my balsamic dressing or lemon vinaigrette.
- Change up the nuts. Replace the pecans with toasted almonds or walnuts.
- Try another cheese. Feta cheese or shaved Parmesan would be delicious!
- Use different fruits. Toss in sliced pears or orange segments instead of the apples, or use pomegranate arils instead of the cranberries.
- Make it a main dish. Add a whole grain like farro or wild rice or a protein like roasted chickpeas.
- Make a strawberry spinach salad by replacing the apples with sliced strawberries. Omit the dried cranberries, and dress the salad with balsamic dressing or lemon vinaigrette.
Let me know what variations you try!
What to Serve with Spinach Salad
This spinach salad is a versatile side dish. It’s special enough to serve at Thanksgiving or any holiday meal, but it’s simple enough to prepare on regular weeknights too. Pair it with a simply cooked protein or any of these recipes:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Easy Baked Ziti
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I also love to make this salad for lunch. It’s on the lighter side, so I often toss in some cooked farro or roasted chickpeas to make it heartier.
I hope you enjoy!
More Favorite Salad Recipes
If you love this spinach salad, try one of these fresh salad recipes next:
- Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic
- Farro Salad
- Arugula Salad
- Simple Green Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Or any of these 51 Best Salad Recipes!
Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 Gala or Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
- 1 heaping cup Candied Pecans
- 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese or ¼ cup shaved pecorino cheese
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the spinach, apple, and onion. Add some of the dressing and toss to combine.
- Add the pecans, goat cheese, and cranberries and gently toss. Add more dressing, as desired. Season to taste and serve.
a wonderful fall salad! i found that i already had many of the ingredients, which made this such an easy, delicious fix.
It came together super quickly and easily. I’ll definitely be adding this side dish on rotation. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it!
A lovely salad that complements almost anything and bypasses the problem of out-of-season tomatoes. I lightly salted the candied pecans after they were done, but otherwise followed the recipe. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Vivian, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This colourful post caught my eye, and since I had all of the ingredients on hand decided to go for it.
SO SO GOOD.
I think I may try a shallot vs red onion next time but the flavour combo for the WIN.
Never feel much like salads in colder weather months but this may change that!
Lainey.
Hi Lainey, I’m so glad you loved the salad! Shallot would be delicious here.
like the apples! and the apple vinegar, a nice change from my spinach bacon salad, thank you
I’m so glad you loved it!