Spinach Apple Salad with Cheddar & Cranberries — The flavors just POP in this fast, easy, and healthy spinach salad! There are so many wonderful textures and flavors in every bite you can’t help but like it!
Table of Contents
- Easy Spinach Apple Salad Recipe
- Spinach Apple Salad Ingredients
- How to Make Spinach Apple Salad
- How Many Servings Does This Recipe Make?
- Recipe FAQs
- Other Dressings to Pair with Spinach and Apple Salad
- What to Serve with Spinach Apple Salad
- Apple, White Cheddar, and Spinach Salad with Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe
- More Easy Side Salads:
Easy Spinach Apple Salad Recipe
There are so many wonderful textures and flavors in every bite of this spinach apple salad, you can’t help but like it.It’s filling, satisfying, and healthy.
Hearty spinach, crisp juicy apples, salty cheese, chewy orange-flavored dried cranberries, andFisher Natural Sliced Almondsfor extra crunch.
I made a simple shake-it-together vinaigrette that’s tangy-yet-sweet from the apple cider vinegar, honey, and mustard. It coats each and every bite perfectly.Dressings can make or break salads and this one is a keeper.
Honestly though, this is the food I crave day in, day out. I loved this healthy spinach salad and so did my family.
If this salad looks like a good to you, also check out its cousin, which is made with chicken. Namely, this .
Spinach Apple Salad Ingredients
To make this spinach and apple side salad, you’ll need:
- Spinach
- Apple
- Grated white cheddar cheese
- Orange-flavored cranberries
- Fisher Natural Sliced Almonds
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Mustard
- Salt and pepper
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Spinach Apple Salad
This easy spinach side salad with apples couldn’t be quicker to prepare! Here are the basic recipe steps:
- Prep the salad ingredients and add to a large bowl.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a small container with a lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Taste the vinaigrette and tweak as necessary to taste before pouring it over the spinach apple salad.
How Many Servings Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe serves two generously or four more modestly.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Prep the Dressing in Advance?
Yes! You can shake up the dressing and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. If the oil hardens somewhat in the fridge, let the dressing sit on your counter for 15 minutes before shaking it up and drizzling over your salads.
Can I Use Another Leafy Green?
Of course! I love eating this as an apple spinach salad, but kale, lettuce, or another leafy green will also work.
What’s the best Type of apple for salads?
You’re welcome to use any variety of apple you’d like in this spinach apple salad. Just be sure to slice itverythinly so it’s easy to eat.
What Type of dried cranberries should I Use?
I found the orange-flavored cranberries at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find them at your local grocery store, feel free to use regular dried cranberries.
How Long does homemade vinaigrette last?
If you wind up with extra spinach salad dressing, it’ll keep airtight in the fridge for a week.
Other Dressings to Pair with Spinach and Apple Salad
I love the apple cider vinaigrette in this fall spinach salad, but you can toss the salad with pretty much any dressing you like. Try one of these homemade salad dressings instead of the apple cider vinaigrette:
- Strawberry Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Cranberry Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Mediterranean Vinaigrette
- Homemade Chimichurri Sauce
- Balsamic Reduction and Glaze
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
What to Serve with Spinach Apple Salad
Pair this apple spinach salad with grilled chicken for a more filling main course salad, or serve it as a simple side salad with one of the following entrees:
- Maple Glazed Pork Chops
- Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Apple Cider Chicken
- Loaded Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Potatoes
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Save Review Print
4.65 from 28 votes
Apple, White Cheddar, and Spinach Salad with Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette
By Averie Sunshine
The flavors just POP in this fast, easy, and healthy spinach salad! There are so many wonderful textures and flavors in every bite you can’t help but like it!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Salad
- about 6 cups fresh spinach
- 1 large apple, cored and sliced very thin (try Envy, Gala, Fuji, or similar)
- 1 cup grated aged white cheddar
- ½ cup dried orange-flavored cranberries, I use Trader Joe’s; plain dried cranberries may be substituted
- ½ cup Fisher Natural Sliced Almonds
Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons mustard, I like either dijon or honey mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
For the Salad:
To a large bowl or platter, add all ingredients in the order listed; set aside.
For the Vinaigrette:
In a small glass jar or container with a lid, add all ingredients, put the lid on and shake vigorously until combined; taste vinaigrette and tweak as necessary to taste.
Drizzle over salad, toss to combine, and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don’t useall the vinaigrette, extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 750kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 48g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 30g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 1327mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 53g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
↓ Click the Stars to Rate This Recipe ↓
Tried this recipe? Leave a review!
Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you've made and loved one of my recipes!
More Easy Side Salads:
— All the flavors just POP in this fast, easy, and healthy salad!! The Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette doubles as marinade + salad dressing to save time!!
Spinach Blueberry Superfoods Salad — This Whole Foods Copycat salad is incredibly flexible based on what you have on hand and enjoy. There are so many wonderful textures and flavors in every bite of this hearty salad filled with superfoods!
Spinach and Artichoke Quinoa Salad – All the flavors of classic spinach and artichoke dip are in this HEALTHY salad!! The only thing that’s missing is tons of fat and calories! FAST, EASY, naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and tastes DELISH!!
Kale Caesar Salad with Fried Chickpeas — This isn’t a traditional Caesar salad and that’s what I love about it. I used kale rather than romaine and fried chickpeas instead of croutons!
Kale Strawberry Avocado Salad — Make a kale lover out of anyone with this kale strawberry salad! It’s topped with creamy avocado, juicy berries, and homemade strawberry vinaigrette!
Twelve Superfoods Salad — This superfood salad is packed with 12 superfoods! This is a great clean out the fridge meal and is easily customized to suit whatever you need to use up.
Strawberry Chicken Salad — The grilled chicken is so JUICY and moist thanks to a homemade pecan butter marinade!! Sweet strawberries and crunchy pecans add extra texture and FLAVOR!!
Post is brought to you by Fisher. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own. #thinkfisher
Originally posted February 2, 2015 and reposted September 9, 2020 with updated text.
