Description

A fresh and colourful salad made with crisp apples, tender baby spinach, creamy feta, sweet-tart dried cranberries, and crunchy toasted walnuts, all tossed with a bright honey mustard dressing.

Ingredients

For the Salad

5 cups (150 g) fresh baby spinach

2 crisp apples, thinly sliced

1/2 cup (60 g) dried cranberries

1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

3/4 cup (110 g) crumbled feta cheese

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the Honey Mustard Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Place the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the heat and let them cool slightly.

2. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and emulsified.

3. Wash and thinly slice the apples. Toss the slices gently with a small splash of fresh lemon juice to help slow browning.

4. Rinse the baby spinach thoroughly and dry it well. Excess water can dilute the dressing, so make sure the spinach is as dry as possible.

5. Place the spinach in a large serving bowl. Add the sliced apples, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, crumbled feta, and thinly sliced red onion.

6. Drizzle the honey mustard dressing evenly over the salad just before serving. Start with most of the dressing and add more if needed.

7. Gently toss the salad until the spinach and apples are lightly coated. Take care not to break up the feta or crush the toasted walnuts.

8. Finish with fresh parsley, a few extra toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and additional feta if desired.

9. Serve immediately while the spinach is fresh, the apples are crisp, and the walnuts are crunchy.

Notes

Choose crisp apples such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, or Granny Smith to maintain a good texture. Dry the spinach well before assembling so the dressing does not become diluted. Toast the walnuts for a few minutes to make them more fragrant and crunchy. Dress the salad just before serving to keep the spinach fresh and prevent it from becoming soggy. Slice the apples shortly before serving and toss them with a little lemon juice to help slow browning. Add the dressing gradually so the delicate spinach leaves remain lightly coated. Goat cheese, blue cheese, or crumbled queso fresco can be used instead of feta. Toasted pecans are an easy substitute for walnuts. For a more substantial meal, add grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, quinoa, or another favourite protein. Prepare the individual components ahead of time, but keep the dressing separate and combine everything shortly before serving.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American