Easy Spinach Salad
The salad starts with fresh spinach leaves and then gets lots of goodies: apple slices, candied pecans, avocado, red onion, feta cheese, and a homemade balsamic dressing. All of the flavors come together to create one amazing salad! This salad recipe is easy to toss together and goes great with any meal. It is perfect for easy weeknights or taking to a potluck or dinner party. Everyone loves the simple and delicious flavors!
This salad recipe is very flexible. If you want to mix things up, here are a few ideas! Add grilled or shredded rotisserie chicken. Instead of pecans, use walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, or pepitas! Bulk things up by adding cooked farro, quinoa, or orzo. Use pear slices, instead of apple slices. Toss in a handful of dried cranberries, currants, or golden raisins. Leave out the apples and add in vegetables! Cucumber, red peppers, tomatoes, and artichokes are all great options. Top the salad with homemade croutons for an extra crunch! Use Parmesan cheese or white cheddar instead of feta or goat cheese.
Ingredients:
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Dash of salt and ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 large Honey crisp apples, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup roughly chopped candied pecans or pecans, can use walnuts or almonds
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese