Spinach, apples and walnuts salad - fresh spinach, crunchy walnuts, juicy raisins and crisp apples drenched in a light and mildly sweet dressing with honey and lemon juice come together in a hearty salad which is perfect as a side dish with any meal!
Come summers and all you want to cool off and feel light is a large bowl of salad with seasonal vegetables and fruits. Have it with a main course or just a sandwich or soup and you have a complete comfort meal which does not weigh you down.
We try to make fresh salads a part of every meal as much as possible; it could be a bowl of freshly chopped vegetables drenched in a light vinaigrette (homemade)/store bought dressing or just some cut up or julienned vegetables like cucumbers and carrots along with sliced onions and cubed tomato drizzled with some olive oil, lemon/lime juice and a light sprinkling of salt.
Today, rummaging through the refrigerator, a small packet of baby spinach beckoned to be used up soon. When I came across lots of salad recipes online with spinach, some of them had apples and that sounded like fun. A few slices of crunchy, juicy apples along with iron-rich raisins and heart healthy walnuts completed the salad bowl.
We love dressings on our salad. I would have loved to use apple cider vinegar, but dash, forgot to add it to my grocery list!! So, with lots of lemons stocked up, lemon juice it was. A little bit of oil, a splash of honey, a dash of mustard and salt and pepper and my dressing was ready.
Ready in less than 10 minutes, this super easy, super healthy spinach, apples and walnut salad needed a nice bowl to display. I was so excited that I had just bought a beautiful bowl which was waiting to be used! Well, this completed my salad picture.
Salads are so versatile; you can just about put anything in them. I had some sunflower seeds which we sprinkle on every salad, so a few of them landed in my bowl. You could add any cheese like feta, paneer (Indian cottage cheese), blue cheese etc. to up the protein content. Some sliced red onions do add a bit of spice and sweetness or maybe some sliced cucumbers?
One bite of this wholesome crunchy salad with a sweet twist and what do you know? Once the whole bowl of salad is polished off, you get to see the bottom of my beautiful bowl!!!
So, head on to the kitchen and rustle up a big bowl of this goodness today and feel light and healthy!!
Fresh spinach, crunchy walnuts, juicy raisins and crisp apples drenched in a light and mildly sweet dressing with honey and lemon juice come together in a hearty salad which is perfect as a side dish with any meal!
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- ¼ to ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts
- ¼ to ½ cup black raisins
- 1 big apple, cored and cut into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
- 4 to 5 tablespoons oil (any cooking oil or olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- In a mason jar or any bottle with a tight fitting lid, add all the ingredients of the dressing.
- Close the lid tightly and shake the bottle to blend the dressing well.
- In a large salad bowl, toss together spinach, walnuts, raisins and apples slices.
- Drizzle with the honey-mustard dressing and toss to coat evenly.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Have fun adding other colors and textures like cubed tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, some slice onions, cubed or sliced cucumbers or even some julienned carrots!
Not fond of walnuts? Try pecans, cashew or even peanuts for the crunch. Add dressing and toss just before serving or the salad may go soggy.
If you do not like raisins, add other dried fruits like dried cranberries, some chopped up dates or even some fresh pomegranate pearls.
Enjoy!!!
I am sharing this with #FiestaFriday | #FoodFriday | #RecipeoftheWeek
For more healthy salads, try:
Mung bean sprouts, mango and corn salad
Healthy Raw Carrot and Beetroot Salad
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