Name: Sweet and Spicy Spinach and Apple Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients: 16 ounces baby spinach; ½ small red onion, slivered; 1 cup Feta or Blue cheese crumbles, more or less to taste; 1 cup dried cranberries, more or less to taste; 1-2 Honey Crisp apples, cored and chopped or sliced thin; 1 cup pecans or walnuts; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/3 cup cider vinegar; 2-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup (depends how sweet you like it); 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2/3 cup olive oil

Description

Sweet and Spicy Spinach Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette is the perfect fall salad! Crispy and bursting with wonderful flavors!

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

16 ounces baby spinach
½ small red onion, slivered
1 cup Feta or Blue cheese crumbles, more or less to taste
1 cup dried cranberries, more or less to taste
1–2 Honey Crisp apples, cored and chopped or sliced thin

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

1 cup pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Maple Cider Vinaigrette

1/3 cup cider vinegar
2–4 tablespoons pure maple syrup (depends how sweet you like it)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

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Instructions

Sweet Spicy Nuts:

Preheat oven to 350°. Toss pecans in butter. Stir together sugar and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; add pecans, tossing to coat. Spread in a single layer in a nonstick aluminum foil-lined pan. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned and toasted. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes; separate pecans with a fork.

Maple Cider Vinaigrette:

Whisk together cider vinegar and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk in oil until well blended.

Salad:

Combine spinach, onion,cheese,dried cranberries, and apples in a bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of Maple-Cider Vinaigrette; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sweet spicy pecans. Serve salad with any remaining vinaigrette.

Notes:

This salad is fabulous for entertaining because it tastes great, looks pretty AND you can make all the components ahead of time. Just store everything separately and combine when ready to serve. If you do prep early, I would recommend soaking the apples in some lemon water so that they don’t brown. I always double the nuts so I can easily make the salad again! Also you can add cooked and crumbled bacon if you want. It is great on this salad!