This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This classic apple spinach salad is easy to make with fresh ingredients, tossed with a quick apple cider vinaigrette, and easy to customize with your favorite add-ins!
Crisp fall days call for crisp fall salads like this one! ♡
I’ve been making some version of this apple spinach salad for over a decade now and it’s about as simple as it gets, yet somehow stands the test of time and still always tastes so comforting and delicious. It’s made with a base of tender baby spinach, crisp sliced apples, toasted crumbled walnuts, tangy goat cheese (or feta or gorgonzola), tart dried cranberries, sliced red onion, and a quick apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect served as a side salad, or it can also double easily as an entrée (especially if you toss in some grilled chicken or chewy farro to make it a bit more hearty).
Feel free, of course, to use whatever variety of tart or sweet fresh apples that you love best. And by all means, go ahead and swap in whatever kind of nuts, cheese, or dried fruit that you have on hand too. This recipe is endlessly flexible, so make it your own and enjoy, enjoy!
Apple Spinach Salad Ingredients
Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this spinach apple salad recipe…
Spinach: I love using fresh baby spinach for this salad, but any of your favorite salad greens will work.
Apple: Feel free to use whatever variety of crisp apple that you love best! I typically use a combination of sweet Pink Lady and tart Granny Smith apples, which are some of our favorites this time of year.
Red onion: I also like to add in some very thinly sliced red onion to give the salad a bit of bite. However, feel free to briefly rinse the sliced onion in cold water before adding it to the salad, if you would like to mellow out its flavor a bit.
Walnuts: I typically make this salad with toasted walnuts or pecans. But just about any variety of nuts or seeds that you prefer will play well in this salad, preferably toasted (if they are not already) to bring out their best flavor.
Dried cranberries: A sprinkling of these always adds great color and a hint of extra sweetness.
Goat cheese: I love the flavor of tangy goat cheese in this recipe, but feel free to swap in crumbled feta, gorgonzola, or a shredded sharp cheddar if you prefer.
Apple cider vinaigrette: Quick and easy to make with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. I highly recommend making a double batch, while you’re at it, to use on another salad later in the week!
Possible Recipe Variations
As I mentioned above, this recipe is endlessly customizable. So please feel free to swap in whatever ingredients you love best and make it your own! For example, you could also…
Add farro: We sometimes cook a quick batch of chewy farro to toss into this salad to make it a bit more hearty.
Add a protein: Grilled or baked chicken, shrimp or crispy tofu would all be delicious additions to this salad.
Add sweet potato: Roasted diced sweet potato also pairs beautifully with this salad and is in season this time of year.
Use different fruit: This salad would also be wonderful made with fresh pears, mandarins, or pomegranate arils in place of (or combined with) the fresh apples.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
Looking for more salad recipe inspiration? Check out our full collection of salad recipes here on Gimme Some Oven, or here are a few of my personal faves…
This classic apple spinach salad is easy to make with fresh ingredients, tossed with a quick apple cider vinaigrette, and easy to customize with your favorite add-ins.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Spinach Salad Ingredients:
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 small apples, cored and thinly sliced
half of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
a generous pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette. Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients together in a bowl and whisk vigorously (or shake them together in a mason jar) to combine.
Toss the salad. Add spinach, apples, red onion, walnuts, dried cranberries, and half of the goat cheese to a large bowl. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, and toss to combine.
Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining goat cheese, and enjoy!
Before we left for a camping trip, I made the dressing using apple cider vinegar and added the optional maple syrup. Brought the dressing and other salad ingredients and prepared for an evening meal. Used Asiago cheese since that’s what I had and toasted pecans because my husband prefers them over walnuts. Also decreased the EVOO by half. Was a very delicious side dish! Will definitely make this again!
So good and EASY – the colorful presentation wows guests. Thanksgiving crowd devoured this! Improvised a bit because I didn’t want to go to store. No red onion, used feta and praline pecans, added bacon bits, tossed with bottled Vidalia Onion Vinegarette.
I made this salad for company in order to offer them something different than my usual tossed green salad. Everyone loved it. Gave the leftover salad to my son, and he said it was better than what he gets in a restaurant. I candied the walnuts and added more goat cheese, but, otherwise, followed the recipe as written. A salad to impress company, and so easy to prepare. Will definitely make it again.
This is very good. I doubled dressing Amy because I was using kale instead of spinach. I rubbed SOME of the extra dressing into the kale about an hour before putting entire salad together. I used all the extras and think it’s easily adaptable to any combo of extra fixings. One guest asked for the dressing recipe..it’s really good.
This salad is amazing. So very delicious, I couldn’t get enough of it. My husband doesn’t like goat cheese and he loved it. He is also allergic to walnuts so we used almonds.
I made this tonight. Best salad ever! I threw out four bottles of salad dressing after I tasted the dressing. I only used 1 t honey and 1/3 of a garlic clove.
This salad was awesome. What a presentation. It was so awesome I doubled it and have served quite a few times. The family loves it and if there is any leftover it still looks beautiful and still tastes good at a later time. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you
I found this recipe several years ago, and it’ quickly became a family favorite. When taking a potluck dish, I often get a request to bring it. Most of the time I do add some crisp crumbled bacon. Personally, I dislike goat milk or cheese, so I use sheep feta, which just has a milder flavor. It’s yummy. If I make my bacon and toasted pecans ahead of time, it’s pretty quick to throw together. Such a colorful pretty salad for the holidays.
Thank you!!
Delicious and easy to make. Substituted Feta cheese and did not have the cranberries, red onion or walnuts, or garlic. I did put garlic powder in the dressing. Everyone loved it!
Before we left for a camping trip, I made the dressing using apple cider vinegar and added the optional maple syrup. Brought the dressing and other salad ingredients and prepared for an evening meal. Used Asiago cheese since that’s what I had and toasted pecans because my husband prefers them over walnuts. Also decreased the EVOO by half. Was a very delicious side dish! Will definitely make this again!
So good and EASY – the colorful presentation wows guests. Thanksgiving crowd devoured this! Improvised a bit because I didn’t want to go to store. No red onion, used feta and praline pecans, added bacon bits, tossed with bottled Vidalia Onion Vinegarette.
Did this dressing recipe change? I could’ve sworn it used to have lemon in it…
I saved this recipe in June 2021; the dressing in that version was very different. It used lemon juice, champagne vinegar, and maple syrup.
LOVE the tart sweet creamy combo!!
Didn’t have cranberries so used tart dried cherries.
This is easy and delicious.
Thanks!
Very good and healthy salad. Love it.
Very good salad recipe. Whole family enjoyed it.
I made this salad for company in order to offer them something different than my usual tossed green salad. Everyone loved it. Gave the leftover salad to my son, and he said it was better than what he gets in a restaurant. I candied the walnuts and added more goat cheese, but, otherwise, followed the recipe as written. A salad to impress company, and so easy to prepare. Will definitely make it again.
This is very good. I doubled dressing Amy because I was using kale instead of spinach. I rubbed SOME of the extra dressing into the kale about an hour before putting entire salad together. I used all the extras and think it’s easily adaptable to any combo of extra fixings. One guest asked for the dressing recipe..it’s really good.
This salad is amazing. So very delicious, I couldn’t get enough of it. My husband doesn’t like goat cheese and he loved it. He is also allergic to walnuts so we used almonds.
One of the best tasting salads I’ve ever eaten. Not difficult to make and super healthy and filling!
loved it! easy and delicious!
How do you cut your apples do thinly?
Great version of spinach salad, dressing is wonderful, apples set it apart.
I made this tonight. Best salad ever! I threw out four bottles of salad dressing after I tasted the dressing. I only used 1 t honey and 1/3 of a garlic clove.
Really delicious
Made this salad this evening. Loved it. Even husband who doesn’t care for salads liked it. And my toddler even ate some of the spinach.
This salad was awesome. What a presentation. It was so awesome I doubled it and have served quite a few times. The family loves it and if there is any leftover it still looks beautiful and still tastes good at a later time. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you
This vinaigrette is sooo good! Glad I doubled the recipe!!
I found this recipe several years ago, and it’ quickly became a family favorite. When taking a potluck dish, I often get a request to bring it. Most of the time I do add some crisp crumbled bacon. Personally, I dislike goat milk or cheese, so I use sheep feta, which just has a milder flavor. It’s yummy. If I make my bacon and toasted pecans ahead of time, it’s pretty quick to throw together. Such a colorful pretty salad for the holidays.
Thank you!!
Delicious and easy to make. Substituted Feta cheese and did not have the cranberries, red onion or walnuts, or garlic. I did put garlic powder in the dressing. Everyone loved it!
Started getting bored with salads but this one woke up my taste buds! It’s delicious and a keeper!!
Love this salad.
SO DELICIOUS!!!! I made extra and added shredded chicken to it the next day for a hearty lunch. The dressing is my new favorite!
Love this salad!!! Keep them coming!
Loved it. Just had a bit of honey left, so not quite full amount. Still great. Great way to use spinach from the garden.
So good!