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    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Spinach and Arugula Salad with Apples, Feta, Pecans, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Published Oct 6, 2022 · by Jacqueline Piper · Leave a Comment · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl with text overlay for Pinterest
    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl

    This easy spinach and arugula salad recipe starts off with a trio of greens - silky spinach leaves, peppery arugula, and shredded crisp romaine lettuce. Nestle in sweet apple slices, tangy feta cheese, and crunchy pecans. Topped with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, this spinach arugula salad has a great mix of flavors and textures. The honey balsamic vinaigrette brings everything together for the perfect arugula, romaine and spinach salad.

    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl

    Use the table of contents below to jump to any section of this blog post. You can also use the jump to recipe link above to get right to the recipe card.

    Jump to:
    • Healthy spinach salad
    • Ingredients for a good salad
    • What's the secret to making your salad better?
    • Homemade dressings make a homemade salad taste so much better
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • More great salad recipes
    • More Salad dressing Recipes
    • Recipes FAQs
    • Recipe

    Healthy spinach salad

    This spinach salad with apples is one of my latest absolute favorite things to eat. It's one of my favorite fall-inspired easy side dishes.

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

    This spinach and arugula salad is packed from top to bottom with delicious flavors and textures.

    spinach salad ingredients

    Ingredients for a good salad

    About the ingredients for this recipe. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.

    • greens - I use a mix of spinach, arugula, and romaine in this salad
    • apples - Fiji apples are my favorite - use your favorite apple!
    • pecans - I just roughly chop these.
    • seeds - I use pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. You can lightly toast these first if you want to.
    • feta cheese - I love crumbly tangy feta cheese. Feta is made with sheep's milk (or a combo of sheep and goat). You can also use goat cheese for this recipe.
    • homemade Balsamic dressing - this dressing is a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, dried thyme leaves, and seasoned with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

    What's the secret to making your salad better?

    Turn basic salad ingredients like spinach and romaine lettuce 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, and 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
    • Season your greens with salt and pepper.
    • Dress your greens first. Plate the greens, add the extra ingredients, and another drizzle of dressing.
    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl

    Homemade dressings make a homemade salad taste so much better

    It's easy to mix up a basic vinaigrette. I use a basic vinaigrette ratio of:

    3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar

    I also add honey to balance the acidity with sweetness, and some dijon must both for savory flavor and also to emulsify the dressing (hold it together.)

    I chose balsamic vinegar, honey, and thyme for this salad because the flavors go well with apples and spinach and the whole salad screams fall vibes to me.

    Instructions

    Prep Tips

    • wash the greens
    • shred the romaine lettuce
    • slice the apple
    • roughly chop the pecans
    • make the dressing

    The exact ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post to get right to it. Below is a quick summary of how to make this spinach salad with step-by-step photos.

    Spinach in a bowl

    Season the greens with salt and pepper and then add the dressing. Mix.

    Spinach Salad ingredients

    Add in your prepared ingredients, like the sliced apple, pecans, and seeds.

    honey balsamic dressing in a mini pouring jar

    Stir the dressing again if needed.

    Pouring balsamic vinaigrette on a salad.

    Add more dressing to the salad and serve.

    RECIPE TIP: Tossing the greens with the dressing first brings more flavor to the salad. Add another drizzle before serving.

    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl

    Substitutions

    ✔ This recipe is vegetarian

    > To make this vegan use another sweetener instead of honey (such as maple syrup) and skip the feta or use a vegan feta cheese replacement product.

    Equipment

    To mix the dressing for this recipe, I use either a bowl and whisk, a jar with a lid, or my mini blender cups from my Ninja Kitchen System.

    Storage

    You can prepare and store the ingredients separately in the fridge. Don't dress the salad ahead of time because it can get soggy. Dress the salad when serving.

    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl

    More great salad recipes

    • Taco Salad
    • Mexican Inspired Chopped Salad
    • Breakfast Salad

    Check out my Salad Category for more salad ideas.

    More Salad dressing Recipes

    • Avocado Cilantro Dressing
    • Homemade Ranch Dressing
    • Lemon Tahini Herb Dressing
    • Creamy Avocado Sauce

    Recipes FAQs

    I don't like spinach, what can I substitute?

    You can use whatever salad greens you prefer in this recipe.

    What is arugula?

    Arugula, also called rocket, is a leafy green with a fresh, peppery, and slightly bitter taste.

    Recipe

    pouring balsamic dressing on a spinach salad

    Spinach Salad with Apples, Feta, Pecans

    Jacqueline Piper
    5 from 1 vote
    This spinach salad is great for lunch or dinner with spinach, romaine lettuce, peppery arugula, sweet apples, tangy feta cheese, and crunchy pecans. Top with Honey Balsamic Dressing.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Ninja Food Processor mini cups, for the dressing, optional

    Ingredients
      

    • 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

    Balsamic Dressing

    • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1 cup Olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
    • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Mix all dressing ingredients together with either a bowl and whisk, a jar with a lid, or a mini blender.
    • Add greens to a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix.
    • Plate the greens and add apple slices, feta, pecans, and seeds.
    • Drizzle more dressing and 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. 
    Nutrition – The nutrition estimate is per serving and using 8 tablespoons of my dressing recipe. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 7gFat: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 7g

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.

    Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
    Keyword fall salad, harvest salad, mixed greens salad, salad with fruit, winter salad
    Have you tried a recipe? Tag @pipercooksblog or tag #pipercooksblog!

    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.

    This post was originally posted on January 20, 2021, and updated on October 6, 2022, for clearer information and nutrition information.

    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl with text overlay for Pinterest

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    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl with text overlay for Pinterest
    Spinach Salad with Apples in a bowl with text overlay for Pinterest

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