Chopped spinach and romaine salad with crisp apples, bacon, pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese.

It’s the perfect salad to take to work or to serve alongside a cozy dinner, such as Italian Zucchini Spaghetti Bake.

overhead spinach apple salad this recipe

Apples are not only for snacking but they also make the best salads. They add the perfect crunch and sweetness to a salad.

Over the years, I’ve shared butternut squash and apple salad, apple and walnut salad, and chopped autumn salad with apples. Now I’m sharing this spinach apple salad.

It’s made with spinach, romaine lettuce, apples, bacon, pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese. You can use just about any variety of apples. I personally love Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady for their crunch.

Vinaigrette for Spinach Apple Salad 

Then the salad is tossed in a tangy-sweet 4-ingredient balsamic vinaigrette. Balsamic vinaigrette is so universal and pairs amazingly with the flavors in this salad.  Sometimes I like to add shallots and garlic to my vinaigrette but for this recipe, I kept it simple. 

Enjoy this salad for lunch or serve it alongside your favorite entrée. Either way, save it for the next meal. You can’t go wrong with it. It’s a straightforward salad that everyone will love.

And if you don’t like pecans or goat cheese, simply switch it up with your favorite nuts and crumbled cheese.

spinach and apple salad in white bowl

Ingredients

  • Fresh baby spinach 
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Apple – such as Honeycrisp, Fuji or Pink Lady
  • Bacon 
  • Pecans
  • Dried cranberries
  • Goat Cheese
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette – olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard
ingredients for apple spinach salad recipe

How to Make Spinach and Apple Salad

Step 1: First make the balsamic vinaigrette by whisking all of the ingredients together. Tip: chill the vinaigrette in the refrigerator while you prep the salad. It tastes extra good when chilled!

balsamic vinaigrette in clear bowl

Step 2: Next, prepare the salad. Chop the spinach, romaine, apple, and pecans. Tip: cook the bacon in the oven for about 20-25 minutes in a preheated 400 F oven. When cooled, either crush or chop the bacon. 

chopped spinach apple salad in white bowl

In a large serving bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

What to Serve with Spinach Apple Salad

If you want to keep it light for lunch, a soup would pair amazingly with this salad. Such as Easy Broccoli Potato Soup or Cauliflower Sausage Kale Soup.

For dinner, pair the salad with Creamy Chicken Mushroom Spinach Pasta, Italian Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers, or even Baked Chicken Parmesan.

close up spinach salad with apples

Love Spinach Salads?

More spinach salad recipe variations to try:

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spinach salad in a bowl

Chopped Spinach Apple Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Chopped
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Chopped spinach and romaine salad with crisp apples, bacon, pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese. It’s the perfect salad to take to work or to serve alongside dinner.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 cups chopped spinach, packed
  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce, packed
  • 1 large apple, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady, cored and chopped
  • 5 strips cooked bacon
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Balsamic Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1–2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  2. Combine the spinach, romaine lettuce, apples, bacon, pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Quick tip: Chill the dressing in the refrigetatror while you prepare the salad ingredients. It tastes really good when chilled.
  • Variations: Don’t like pecans? Try walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. Same with the cheese. Feta or blue cheese would be a good substitute for goat cheese.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 333
  • Sugar: 13 g
  • Sodium: 224.4 mg
  • Fat: 27.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 17.4 g
  • Protein: 6.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 22.9 mg

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