This vibrant apple spinach salad combines sweet cranberries, crunchy sunflower seeds, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette for a quick, nutritious side dish perfect for busy family dinners and holiday gatherings.
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This is one of my favorite winter salads to serve with a holiday dinner or even for a weeknight side dish. It’s a lighter side dish and you can make the dressing in advance, so it literally takes minutes to toss it all together.
I love the flavor profile of this winter salad. The dried cranberries and apples give it a sweet edge against the tart balsamic vinegar dressing, and I've found that even my pickiest eaters like this balance. The honey in the balsamic vinegar dressing also adds a nice sweet note to the entire salad.
Why You'll Love This Apple Spinach Salad Recipe
- Quick Holiday Hero: When time is precious during holiday prep, this salad comes together in just 10 minutes while looking like you spent hours on it.
- Nutritious Balance: Between hearty holiday mains, this salad offers a refreshing, nutrient-packed alternative that even the kids will enjoy thanks to the sweet apples and cranberries.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Prepare the dressing days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. When it's time to serve, just slice the apples, toss everything together, and you're done!
- Customizable for Everyone: Adjust the ratios of spinach, apple, cranberries, and sunflower seeds to suit your family's preferences. It's easy to make this recipe your own.
- Impressive Presentation: The vibrant green spinach, ruby-red cranberries, and golden apples create a festive color palette that looks stunning on any holiday table.
🥗 Winter doesn't mean you can't feed your family delicious healthy salads — you just have to welcome in the cool weather salad fixings!
Recipe Ingredients
- Baby spinach — Regular fresh spinach can be used, but it's easier to eat if it's chopped up a bit.
- Dried cranberries
- Sunflower seeds — shelled seeds (not the ones still in the shell!)
- Apples — I like using crispy apples like Honey Crisp and Gala.
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar — Get the best quality you can find and afford!
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Shallot — A small amount of minced fresh onion can be substituted.
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
How To Make Apple Spinach Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette
Step 1: Toss together all salad ingredients: spinach, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and apples.
Step 2: Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Dress salad lightly and serve remaining dressing with the meal for guests to dress as they please.
Recipe FAQs
While the dressing can be made several days ahead, I recommend assembling the salad just before serving. If you need to prep ahead, you can measure out the dry ingredients (spinach, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds) and store them separately, then add the freshly sliced apples and dressing right before serving.
I prefer using crisp, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Gala. Their firmness holds up well in the salad, and their flavor balances beautifully with the other ingredients. Avoid softer varieties like McIntosh that might become mushy.
Absolutely! Toasted walnuts, pecans, or sliced almonds make excellent alternatives. For a nut-free option, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) provide a similar crunch.
Once dressed, the salad is best enjoyed immediately. However, if you have leftovers, they'll keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, though the spinach may wilt slightly.
Expert Tips
- Quality Matters: Invest in a high-quality balsamic vinegar for the dressing. Since it's the star flavor, the better your vinegar, the more impressive your salad will taste.
- Perfect Serving Strategy: Lightly dress the salad before bringing it to the table, then offer extra dressing on the side. This ensures everyone gets a perfectly dressed salad according to their preference.
- Apple Trick: To prevent sliced apples from browning, toss them in a bit of lemon juice before adding them to the salad. This keeps them looking fresh throughout the meal.
- Temperature Tip: Allow refrigerated dressing to come to room temperature before using, as cold oil can solidify and affect the dressing's texture and ability to coat the salad evenly.
- Make It a Meal: Transform this side dish into a main course by adding grilled chicken, salmon, or chickpeas for protein. It's a versatile recipe that works beautifully as both a side and a complete meal.
Easy Homemade Salad Dressings
This balsamic vinegar dressing is one of my favorites, and it’s great on any salad that has a sweet fruity note, like this one! But there are really so many homemade salad dressing to try so I'll share a few more.
- Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
- Balsamic Salad Dressing
- Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Creamy Salad Dressing
- Creamy Peach Poppy Seed Dressing
More Favorites From Longbourn Farm
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Apple Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Spinach and Apple Salad
- 10 ounces baby spinach (1 package)
- 6 ounces dried cranberries (1 small package)
- ⅔ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 apples (medium, sliced thin)
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 shallot (minced, see note)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
For the Spinach and Apple Salad
- Toss all ingredients together.
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake well to combine.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress salad lightly and serve remaining dressing with the meal for guests to dress as they please.
Notes
- The shallot can be substituted with ¼ cup minced onion.
- Invest in a high-quality balsamic vinegar for the dressing. Since it's the star flavor, the better your vinegar, the more impressive your salad will taste.
- Lightly dress the salad before bringing it to the table, then offer extra dressing on the side. This ensures everyone gets a perfectly dressed salad according to their preference.
- To prevent sliced apples from browning, toss them in a bit of lemon juice before adding them to the salad. This keeps them looking fresh throughout the meal.
Sammi Windley
I always have trouble matching the right dressing to the right salad! I love this pair tho!