I've been preparing some variation of this apple spinach salad for over a decade, and it's about as basic as it gets, yet it somehow survives the test of time and always feels so comfortable and wonderful. It's created with delicate baby spinach, crisp sliced apples, toasted crumbled walnuts, tangy goat cheese (or feta or gorgonzola), sour dried cranberries, sliced red onion, and a simple apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect as a side salad, but also works well as an entrée.

Of course, you may use whichever tart or sweet fresh apples you choose. Also, feel free to substitute whatever nuts, cheese, or dried fruit you have on hand. This recipe is infinitely adaptable, so create your own version and enjoy!

Apple Spinach Salad Ingredients

Here are the necessary components for making this spinach apple salad recipe:

• Spinach: I like fresh baby spinach for this salad, but any of your favorite salad greens will suffice.

• Apple: Use any sort of crisp apple you want! I usually use a mix of sweet Pink Lady and tart Granny Smith apples, which are among of our favorites this time of year.

• Red onion: I like to add some thinly sliced red onion to the salad to give it some bite. If you want to tone down the taste of the sliced onion, you may rinse it quickly in cold water before adding it to the salad.

• Walnuts: I usually prepare this salad with roasted walnuts or pecans. However, whatever sort of nuts or seeds you want would work well in this salad, ideally roasted (if not already) to bring out their full taste.

• Dried cranberries: A sprinkle of these always provides a nice pop of color and a bit of sweetness.

• Goat cheese: I like the tangy taste of goat cheese in this dish, but you may use crumbled feta, gorgonzola, or shredded sharp cheddar if you prefer.

• Apple cider vinaigrette: Combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. I suggest preparing a second batch to use on another salad later in the week!

Possible Recipe Variations

As I previously said, this recipe is completely modifiable. So, please feel free to substitute your favorite ingredients and make it your own! You may also...

• Add farro: To make this salad more robust, we occasionally prepare a fast batch of chewy farro and put it in.

• Add a protein: Grilled or baked chicken, shrimp, or crispy tofu are all excellent additions to this salad.

• Add sweet potato: This salad goes well with roasted diced sweet potato, which is in season right now.

• Use a different fruit: This salad would also be delicious with fresh pears, mandarins, or pomegranate arils instead of (or in addition to) the fresh apples.

Simple Spinach Salad

This delectable 20-Minute Apple Spinach Salad combines simple ingredients like red and green apples, baby spinach, walnuts, dried cranberries, and goat cheese with a homemade Maple-Lime Mustard dressing. This is a versatile side dish that may be served with almost any main entrée. Alternatively, add protein and make it a meal. Bring this popular side dish to picnics, potlucks, BBQ parties, and other social events with friends and family. Simple enough to prepare on a hectic workday yet elegant enough to serve guests! Other easy salads that I suggest are spinach salad with parmesan and pine nuts and strawberry spinach salad with bacon and toasted almonds.

How To Make It Ahead

This simple spinach salad comes together so quickly that it does not need to be prepared ahead of time. You just need 20 minutes in the kitchen. This salad is ideal for bringing to picnics, potlucks, and barbecue parties, as well as serving to big groups. In this situation, you may double or quadruple the salad components and prepare part of them ahead of time. Here are my tips:

• Toast the pecans in a preheated oven at 350°F for approximately 10 minutes. Cool them and store them in an airtight plastic bag.

• Prepare the salad dressing up to 3 days ahead of time and chill it in a glass mason jar.

• I don't advocate preparing spinach or apples ahead of time since they're easy to assemble on the day!

• For the greatest results and freshness, assemble in no more than 10 minutes before serving.

• Tip: To keep the apple spinach salad fresh and the nuts from becoming mushy, add the pecans, goat cheese, and salad dressing just before serving.