Here is a recipe for an easy spinach salad, plus tips on how to make spinach salad using your favorite ingredients.

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This post is all about how to make a spinach salad that is perfect for the holidays or any time of year.

Winter is a time to think about holiday recipes and foods to make that are easy, satisfying, and delicious.

Spinach salad fits into all those categories for me, as spinach is reported to be nutrient-dense, and it is often used as an ingredient to make recipes like green juice and smoothies.

Spinach is a versatile ingredient that can be used to make fancy holiday side dishes, like creamed spinach or braised greens. It can be used to make breakfast recipes, like spinach and mushroom omelets or quiche.

Spinach also makes a great salad green to use for making side salad recipes and dinner salad recipes. It is also a great to use for making easy salads to take to work.

Spinach salad is a good salad to make for people who don’t really like salad. Spinach has tender leaves and mild flavor that goes well with a variety of sweet and savory ingredients, like sliced apple, dried fruit, nuts, and bacon.

Because spinach salad is so flexible, it makes a great salad to serve at parties and other special occasions.

For an easy dinner party menu, consider serving roasted chicken with mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes, crispy Parmesan roasted broccoli, and spinach salad, for example. A cheese plate makes a perfect appetizer before dinner, while a cake purchased from your favorite bakery can make a great dessert.

Check out these posts for more easy dinner party ideas, plus tips on how to make a cheese plate or how to make a charcuterie board.

Aside from special occasions, spinach salad is one of our favorite types of salad to have for dinner. Simply add cooked chopped chicken, sautéed shrimp or roasted shrimp, or baked tofu to make this a great dinner salad recipe made with spinach.

How to Make Spinach Salad | Tips

Use baby spinach for tender leaves and good flavor. Wash and dry the spinach leaves before using them to make a salad. A salad spinner makes this easy to do.
Use tart or semi-tart apples to add crisp, refreshing flavor to the salad. Fuji apples, Jonathan apples, and Granny Smith apples are great apples to use for making spinach salad. Core the apples to remove the seeds and stem, but leave the apple skin on to add color and flavor to the salad.
Dried cranberries or dried blueberries add sweet, candy-like flavor to the salad, a nice foil for tart apple slices.
This spinach salad recipe is made with Roquefort cheese, but it can also be made using other types of cheese. If you don’t have Roquefort cheese, then substitute crumbled blue cheese.
Toasting the nuts and seeds helps to bring out their flavor. To toast the chopped pecans or pumpkin seeds, lightly coat the inside of a skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Then add the nuts or seeds to the skillet. Cook the chopped nuts or seeds for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool before adding to the salad. You can toast the nuts or seeds ahead of time to save a step when it’s time to make the salad. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until you are ready to use them.
To make spinach salad more filling to eat as a main dish for lunch or dinner, add protein, such as cooked, chopped chicken or turkey, shrimp, tofu, chickpeas, or cannellini beans. Cook the protein and allow it to cool before adding to the salad.
Both maple vinaigrette and apple cider vinaigrette are both great fall and winter seasonal salad dressings to use for spinach salad. Honey mustard dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, and sweet onion dressing also make tasty types of salad dressing to use for spinach salad.
For best flavor, make the spinach salad just before you are ready to serve it.

Spinach Salad with Roquefort Cheese

This spinach salad is easy to make, and it’s colorful, making it a pretty choice to serve at the holiday table. The recipe makes 4 to 6 servings as a side salad, or it makes 2 to 3 dinner salads when protein is added.

Easy Spinach Salad with Apple and Roquefort Cheese

Here is an easy spinach salad recipe that uses fresh baby spinach, sliced apples, crunchy walnuts, and creamy Roquefort cheese to make a delicious salad that is perfect for everyday meals or for holidays.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword holiday recipes, salad recipes, spinach recipes

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings 4 people

Author Sweet Bacon & Pecans

Ingredients

1 5 oz. container fresh baby spinach leaves rinsed and drained
1 large apple or 2 medium apples cored and thinly sliced
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
⅓ cup toasted chopped pecans or ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup dried cranberries or dried blueberries
½ cup Roquefort cheese or blue cheese crumbled
Maple vinaigrette,apple cider vinaigrette, honey Dijon dressing, or balsamic vinaigrette, to serve

Instructions

Place spinach, apple, onion, toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or blueberries, and crumbled cheese to a large salad bowl. Toss to combine ingredients.
Divide the salad among salad plates or dinner plates. Drizzle the salad with your choice of dressing to serve.

This post was all about how to make spinach salad.

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Credits

Photo by margouillatphotos / Canva
Photos are for illustrative purposes only.

The Best Spinach Salad with Apple and Roquefort Cheese