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Leafy greens, crunchy apple slices, and chewy raisins are fabulous together in this Spinach Apple Salad with a tangy sweet dressing. The salad is a delightful balance of flavors and textures, making it one of my favorites to share with friends.
Spinach Apple Salad
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, then you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of fresh and light salads, all year long. And, this spinach apple salad is always hit whenever I serve it. It’s loaded with apples and toasted nuts, and never fails to run empty when I bring it to a potluck.
That’s a far cry from how salads used to be for me, as a kid. All I really remember eating was iceberg lettuce in our salads. So, it’s amazing to see how far salad options have come over the years. Now, we have an endless array of options when it comes to lettuce. From spinach to spring mixes full of arugula, romaine, chard, endive, radicchio, and a whole host of other lettuces, the choices are nearly endless.
Salad with Apples
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a good steakhouse-style iceberg wedge with bacon, bleu cheese, and tomatoes. However, the different textures and flavors of the lettuce we can get regularly in our local stores have me enjoying salads more than ever.
But, the star of the show in this salad has to be those visually distinctive, crisp and juicy apple slices. Sweet and tart, they add a delectable crisp crunch to the mix. I like to use a mix of granny smith and honey crisp apples, but you can make this salad with whatever apples you have on hand
Apple Spinach Salad Recipe
The trick with this apple spinach salad recipe is to keep the apples from turning brown. Did you know that there’s a trick to do that? I can’t recall when I first heard it, but it has absolutely changed the way I approach recipes like this.
So, say goodbye to those sad browned slices. This will help extend the amount of time your apple slices will stay crisp and white before starting to turn brown.
All you have to do is to immediately place the slices in a vinegar mixture when you slice them. Prepare a small bowl with 2 cups of cold water and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Soak them for about 5 minutes and then drain. Blot them dry. Voila!
Spring Mix Salads
There are so many different kinds of lettuce, I appreciate that I can get a pre-mixed box of greens. And, making spring mix salads is a shortcut that saves me time doing food prep in the kitchen. I’ve got plenty of recipes that use them!
This apple walnut salad with blueberries, goat cheese, plenty of fresh greens, and parsley is a family favorite, plus it is a perfect match for the very popular honey balsamic vinaigrette too!
Fresh corn, bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, and onion are tossed with lime and a sprinkling of spices to create my southwest corn salad, which can be served wonderfully on a simple bed of spring mix.
And, this arugula tomato salad celebrates the sweet summer freshness of tomatoes with the peppery bite of arugula glazed with balsamic. You’ve likely heard it said before that something is “more than the sum of its parts.” Well, this salad, it is absolutely more than the sum of its parts
Have you tried the sweet kale salad from Costco? The crunchy greens are topped with sweet cranberries and salty pepitas, and then tossed in a tangy sweet poppyseed dressing. I can’t get enough.
Spinach and Apple Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 4 ounces baby spinach leaves or 2 large handfuls
- 4 ounces spring mix lettuces or 2 large handfuls
- 1 cup raisins
- ¾ cup sliced almonds toasted
- 3 medium granny smith apples but into very thin slices
Honey Cider Dressing Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons finely minced yellow onion
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ¾ cup light flavor olive oil
Instructions
Dressing Instructions
- In a small glass bowl, warm the honey and the vinegar in the microwave. Stir together until the honey dissolves. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, onion, parsley, and oil in the pitcher of an electric blender.
- Add the honey mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Salad Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until they are fragrant and browned. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl or on a platter, combine the spinach, lettuces, raisins, almonds, and apple slices. Lightly drizzle the salad with approximately half of the prepared dressing just before serving. Store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
