Spinach Apple Salad with Honey Cider Dressing

21 Comments 5

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Jump to Recipe

Crisp baby spinach, spring mix lettuces, tart apples, sweet raisins, crunchy almonds, and the ultimate honey cider salad dressing are combined to create a fantastic Spinach Apple Salad.

Spinach and Apple Salad in shallow white bowl with napkin

I made this salad three times within a month the first time I made it. And in the years since then, this salad has made frequent appearances in my home.

Spinach Apple Salad

The Honey Cider Dressing is wonderfully tangy and sweet and the combination of those flavors with the rest of the Spinach Apple Salad immediately made this one of my all-time favorite salads.

Save The Recipe

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email and I’ll send this recipe right to your inbox! Plus, I’ll send you new recipes every week!

And that says something because this parsley salad with oranges and the apple walnut salad with blueberries are big favorites too. There’s just something unforgettable about a fresh salad filled with fruits and tossed in a tangy sweet dressing.

I was determined to serve this with my Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago. So, I played with several different ways to make the salad in advance and still keep the apples fresh.

(Like most people I know, making as many of the Thanksgiving dishes as possible in advance keeps me the happiest!)

Everything I tried initially, changed the flavor of the salad too much. Fortunately, apple cider vinegar did the trick and after 36 hours in the fridge, the salad still had apples that were crisp, white, and tasting like fresh apples.

spinach and apple salad with honey cider dressing

Honey Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

  1. In a small glass bowl, warm the honey and the vinegar in the microwave. Stir together until the honey dissolves. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, onion, parsley, and oil in the pitcher of an electric blender.
  2. Add the honey mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
honey cider dressing in small jar with whisk

Spinach Apple Salad Recipe

  1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds (or caramelize them if you’re feeling fancy!) until they are fragrant and browned. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl or on a platter, combine the spinach, lettuces, raisins, almonds, and apple slices. Sprinkle with parsley. Lightly drizzle the salad with approximately half of the prepared dressing just before serving. Store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from and with thanks to Apron Appeal.

salad with spring mix, spinach, apples, craisins, and almonds

Make Ahead Directions

To prepare this in advance: I recommend treating the apples to avoid browning. As you are slicing them, place them directly into a small bowl filled with 2 cups of cold water and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar.

Soak the sliced apples for about 5 minutes and then drain. Blot dry with a cloth or paper towels and then store in an airtight container until ready to assemble the salad.

Get New Recipessent to your inbox!
We never share your information with third parties and will protect it in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
spinach and apple salad

Spinach Apple Salad with Honey Cider Dressing

5 from 7 votes
Crisp baby spinach, spring mix lettuces, tart apples, sweet raisins, crunchy almonds, and the ultimate honey cider salad dressing all combined to create a fantastic fall salad.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

Salad Ingredients

  • 4 oz baby spinach leaves
  • 4 oz spring mix lettuces
  • 1 cup raisins
  • ¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 3 granny smith apples very thinly sliced, I cut medium size apples into about 40 slices each
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

Honey Cider Dressing Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • tablespoons yellow onion finely minced
  • tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • ½ cup light flavor olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste

Instructions

Dressing Instructions

  • In a small glass bowl, warm the honey and the vinegar in the microwave. Stir together until the honey dissolves. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, onion, parsley, oil, and salt in the pitcher of an electric blender.
  • Add the honey mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Taste the dressing and add salt as desired. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Salad Instructions

  • In a skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds (or caramelize them if you're feeling fancy!) until they are fragrant and browned. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  • In a large bowl or on a platter, combine the spinach, lettuce, raisins, almonds, and apple slices. Sprinkle with parsley.
  • Lightly drizzle the salad with approximately half of the prepared dressing just before serving. Store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator.

Notes

To prepare this in advance: I recommend treating the apples to avoid browning. As you are slicing them, place them directly into a small bowl filled with 2 cups of cold water and ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. Soak them for about 5 minutes and then drain. Blot dry with a cloth or paper towel.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal · Carbohydrates: 33g · Protein: 6g · Fat: 24g · Saturated Fat: 3g · Cholesterol: 2mg · Sodium: 76mg · Potassium: 482mg · Fiber: 6g · Sugar: 11g · Vitamin A: 1527IU · Vitamin C: 11mg · Calcium: 84mg · Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 11/15/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/21/22}

fresh salad with spinach, apples, raisins, almonds on large platter

Filed under: , , , , , ,

Tagged with: ,

Share this Article

PinYummly

Related Posts

Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

Reader Interactions

21 Comments Leave a comment or review

    Rate & Comment

    Rating




  1. Tricia @ saving room for dessert says

    An apple spinach salad is one of my favorites! The dressing sounds fantastic.
    I posted a response to your question about warm egg white meringue. I have never heard of it but did check out the link. I always use room temperature eggs but am intrigued about the lack of sweating. Very interesting! My thought is it's worth a try. Thanks for sending me the link. Spam away anytime! ha-ha Have a great day.

  2. Monet says

    What a perfect fall salad. Now if only you could come over and cook for me tonight! This looks too good. Thank you for sharing with me…and thank you for visiting my blog! Your words mean a lot to me! I hope you have a great week!

  3. Apron Appeal says

    Look how totally behind I am in my google reader! 🙂 Thanks for hat tip….but now I'm hungry. I KNOW how good this one tastes. I also love the apple preservation idea. NICE!

  4. Pam says

    This salad, especially the dressing, is delicious! I just had it tonight for dinner. It's great as written but tonight I subbed pears for the apples, cranberries for the raisins and pecans for the almonds. Tossed them over a kale/spinach mix. Yum!5 stars