The perfect salad to make anytime of year since good apples are always easy to come by. Spinach is layered with fresh juicy apples, crunchy pecans, tangy feta, sweet cranberries, salty bacon and it's finished with bright cider vinaigrette.
Servings: 7
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Ready in: 28 minutes
Ingredients
10 oz baby spinach
3 small gala apples or 2 medium , cored and thinly sliced
1 cup pecans , toasted
4 oz feta cheese , crumbled (don't use the pre-crumbled stuff)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
12 oz bacon , cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2 small red onion , sliced into thin strips (optional)
Maple-Cider Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
If using red onion, place slices in a colander and run under warm water for about 10 seconds, tossing once, to remove harsh bite. Drain well.
In a large salad bowl toss together spinach, apples, pecans, feta, cranberries and optional bacon and red onion. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately after adding dressing.
For the dressing: Add all ingredients to a medium mason jar. Cover with lid and shake to blend well (or alternately just blend well in a bowl with a whisk).
Notes
Recipe source: inspired by Southern Living
Nutrition:
COURSE: SALAD
CUISINE: AMERICAN
KEYWORD: APPLE SALAD, SPINACH SALAD
AUTHOR: JACLYN
Recipe Credit: Cooking Classy