This classic apple spinach salad is easy to make with fresh ingredients, tossed with a quick apple cider vinaigrette, and easy to customize with your favorite add-ins!
Crisp fall days call for crisp fall salads like this one! ♡
I’ve been making some version of this apple spinach salad for over a decade now and it’s about as simple as it gets, yet somehow stands the test of time and still always tastes so comforting and delicious. It’s made with a base of tender baby spinach, crisp sliced apples, toasted crumbled walnuts, tangy goat cheese (or feta or gorgonzola), tart dried cranberries, sliced red onion, and a quick apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect served as a side salad, or it can also double easily as an entrée (especially if you toss in some grilled chicken or chewy farro to make it a bit more hearty).
Feel free, of course, to use whatever variety of tart or sweet fresh apples that you love best. And by all means, go ahead and swap in whatever kind of nuts, cheese, or dried fruit that you have on hand too. This recipe is endlessly flexible, so make it your own and enjoy, enjoy!
Apple Spinach Salad Ingredients
Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this spinach apple salad recipe…
- Spinach: I love using fresh baby spinach for this salad, but any of your favorite salad greens will work.
- Apple: Feel free to use whatever variety of crisp apple that you love best! I typically use a combination of sweet Pink Lady and tart Granny Smith apples, which are some of our favorites this time of year.
- Red onion: I also like to add in some very thinly sliced red onion to give the salad a bit of bite. However, feel free to briefly rinse the sliced onion in cold water before adding it to the salad, if you would like to mellow out its flavor a bit.
- Walnuts: I typically make this salad with toasted walnuts or pecans. But just about any variety of nuts or seeds that you prefer will play well in this salad, preferably toasted (if they are not already) to bring out their best flavor.
- Dried cranberries: A sprinkling of these always adds great color and a hint of extra sweetness.
- Goat cheese: I love the flavor of tangy goat cheese in this recipe, but feel free to swap in crumbled feta, gorgonzola, or a shredded sharp cheddar if you prefer.
- Apple cider vinaigrette: Quick and easy to make with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. I highly recommend making a double batch, while you’re at it, to use on another salad later in the week!
Possible Recipe Variations
As I mentioned above, this recipe is endlessly customizable. So please feel free to swap in whatever ingredients you love best and make it your own! For example, you could also…
- Add farro: We sometimes cook a quick batch of chewy farro to toss into this salad to make it a bit more hearty.
- Add a protein: Grilled or baked chicken, shrimp or crispy tofu would all be delicious additions to this salad.
- Add sweet potato: Roasted diced sweet potato also pairs beautifully with this salad and is in season this time of year.
- Use different fruit: This salad would also be wonderful made with fresh pears, mandarins, or pomegranate arils in place of (or combined with) the fresh apples.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
Looking for more salad recipe inspiration? Check out our full collection of salad recipes here on Gimme Some Oven, or here are a few of my personal faves…
- Everyday Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Fattoush Salad
- Grilled Halloumi Salad
- Pear Salad with Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts
Apple Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Apple Spinach Salad Ingredients:
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2 small apples, cored and thinly sliced
- half of a small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
- a generous pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette. Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients together in a bowl and whisk vigorously (or shake them together in a mason jar) to combine.
- Toss the salad. Add spinach, apples, red onion, walnuts, dried cranberries, and half of the goat cheese to a large bowl. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, and toss to combine.
- Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining goat cheese, and enjoy!
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I made this salad and it was exceptional! It has only several simple ingredients, comes together quickly, and has great flavors. I did use an off the shelf raspberry pecan vinegarette instead of making the dressing, but that was my only substitution.
It taste delicious even without the feta cheese(no cheese available) Thanks for sharing.
Oh. my. goodness! I hate salads but absolutely loved this! It wasn’t meant to be, but it was the star of my dinner! I don’t eat nuts, so I removed those….I already want more! I also halved the recipe, as it’s just me, and there’s still so much! I’ll be having it with all my dinners this week! I was thinking I needed to add some honey or sweetness to the vinaigrette, as I didn’t as it was quite tart on the spinach, but it’s just right on the apples and everything else, so I don’t think I’ll need it. Will be sharing this recipe with everyone! Thank you!
This recipe is a winner! I first made this as a holiday salad, beautiful to look at and so delicious! I’ve made it many times since and it’s always a favorite! I use toasted pecan halves, sheep feta (mild flavor and great texture), and do opt for the pure maple syrup added to the dressing. I accidentally mixed the recipe up with another and added crumbled bacon, and it was great, so I often include it. I usually prepare all but the apples ahead of time, and then the apples last, tossed in lemon juice. It can quickly be finished up shortly before serving.
This is one of my favorite salad dressings. So flavorful and I always have these ingredients on hand. It’s so delicious with this spinach salad as well. Thanks!
This is my favorite spinach salad recipe. I can easily cut it half to make a smaller batch. It also works well with fresh pears. I use rice vinegar sometimes if I don’t have apple cider vinegar, it works just as well. I also sweeten the dressing with a bit of stevia. I often serve this with farm fresh boiled eggs.
Absolutely delicious!
Deliciously sweet and tangy! Cut up the apples in advance and stored in some cold water with some lemon in the fridge–no browning at all! Roasted my walnuts for minutes at 350 degrees. I didn’t toss in advance, but let my guests mix their own combinations. It was a big hit with my vegan daughter, who just left off the cheese.
Love this recipe! Great crunch with the apples and tang from the vinegarette.
This is similar to mine and one of my favorites. Since a salad is my lunch or dinner I do add grilled chicken. If I am in a hurry I buy this similar made up salad at Walmart and it has a wonderful dressing included a little sweet and creamy. Wish I could find that recipe. It is a favorite of mine. Thank you for your tasty recipes.