Spinach Salad with Apples, Feta, and Pecans

Healthy spinach salad

This spinach salad with apples is one of my latest absolute favorite things to eat.

A base of fresh spinach, peppery arugula, and soft romaine lettuce, topped with a crisp sliced Fiji apple, crunchy pecans, pepitas, and sunflower seeds, and tangy feta cheese. Finally, the whole thing is drizzled with a sweet and savory honey balsamic vinaigrette.

This is not a boring, limp, or flavorless salad. It's packed from top to bottom with delicious flavors and textures.

Oh, and it's healthy. Happy January. This spinach apple salad is also easy to make!

Ingredients for a good salad

Just look at that deliciousness.

• greens (mix of spinach, arugula, and romaine)
• apple (Fiji apples are my favorite - use your favorite apple!)
• pecans
• seeds
• feta cheese
• homemade dressing

Tips to make your salad better

Turn basic salad ingredients into a great-tasting and satisfying salad by adding different textures and tastes.

• Vary the textures and tastes of your greens and combine them. Pair a soft green like spinach with peppery arugula and crunchy romaine.
• Add something fresh like apples or cucumbers.
• Add something crunchy like nuts and seeds.
• Use fresh herbs if you have them
• Use a variety of different flavors like sweet, spicy, sour, savory (apples are sweet, arugula is peppery, feta is tangy, thyme is savory).
• Use a dressing that matches or contrasts the salad ingredients.
• Make your own dressing to really make your spinach salad better
• Dress your salad and mix everything together and then plate it.

Homemade dressings make a homemade salad taste so much better

It's easy to mix up a basic vinaigrette. I chose balsamic vinegar, honey, and thyme for this salad because the balsamic vinegar and thyme go well with apples and spinach. Add enough that it enhances your salad but doesn't take it over, you want to taste the salad ingredients as well as the dressing.

Spinach Salad with Apples, Feta, Pecans

pipercooks

This spinach salad is great for lunch and filling enough for dinner with spinach, romaine lettuce, peppery arugula, sweet apples, tangy feta cheese, and crunchy pecans. Top with Honey Balsamic Dressing.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 0 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 4

Calories 302 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 handfuls spinach
• 2 handfuls arugula
• ½ head romaine lettuce (shredded)
• 1 apple (sliced)
• 35 grams feta cheese (crumbled)
• ½ cup pecans (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 8 tablespoons Honey Balsamic Dressing

Instructions

 

• Add greens, apple slices, feta, and pecans. in a large bowl.
• Add dressing and mix salad.
• Plate salad and scatter seeds in each bowl. Serve.

Notes

Notes – Amounts for greens can vary, I just pull out handfuls of greens from the bags. Use more if you like.

Substitutions – Vary the greens if you like and the type of apples.  Try walnuts instead of pecans.  Use your favorite salad dressing.

Storage – Serve immediately. (Although I have saved leftovers in the fridge and eaten them the day after)

Nutrition – Nutritional information is an estimate only, intended for informational purposes, and not to be used as medical or dietary advice. The estimate is based on a nutrition calculator and every recipe will vary slightly depending on the products you use in your home. This estimate is per serving and using 8 tablespoons of my dressing recipe. Your nutrition facts could vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal

Keyword fall salad, harvest salad, mixed greens salad, salad with fruit, winter salad

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

More great salad recipes

• Taco Salad
• Mexican Inspired Chopped Salad
• Breakfast Salad

Other Salad dressings to try

• Avocado Cilantro Dressing
• Homemade Ranch Dressing

Recipes FAQs

How to make this recipe

This recipe is so simple to make. To a large mixing bowl, add the greens, apple slices, pecans and crumbled feta cheese. Add the dressing to the bowl and mix it all together.

Plate the salad and then scatter seeds on top of each bowl. Done! Easy peasy right?

Let me know what your favorite salad is in the comments below. I think mine might be this spinach salad with apples at the moment. Until I come up with the next salad recipe!