Community Pick
Spinach, Apple and Pecan Salad
"Spinach, apples, red onion & pecans in a sweet-tart dressing. To make this salad extra special, I like to glaze the pecans by stirring them with 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar melts. Pour them out on waxed paper and separate with your spoon while still warm. If you do this, you don't need to toast the pecans. It takes about 5 minutes or so for the sugar to melt."
photo by Sharlene~W
- Ready In:
- 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I prefer Dijon)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 golden delicious apple, halved, cored, thinly sliced
- 1⁄4 cup red onion, cut in thin strips
- 3⁄4 lb fresh spinach, washed, stems removed, leaves torn
- 1⁄2 cup toasted pecans
directions
- In serving bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper until thick.
- Add apple and onion.
- Toss until apples and onions are covered with dressing.
- Place spinach on top, then pecans.
- Just before serving, toss.
Questions & Replies
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Can you use balsamic vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar?
Reviews
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A very nice autumnal salad. Served this last night with sausage and pumpkin pasta (#15276) for our annual pumpkin carving dinner party. All went well and I recieved compliments all around. A few changes I made to the salad: I was out of pecans so I used walnuts and as one of my dinner guests is alergic to raw apples I replaced them with pomegranate seeds- pretty and TASTEY! This is a keeper. -
If I could give this recipe more than 5 stars I would! The dressing is wonderful - sweet yet slightly tart, too, and the combination of apples, toasted pecans and spinach is terrific. I doubled the dressing ingredients (the single recipe just did not look like enough), substituted a Granny Smith apple, and used a 6 oz. package of baby spinach. Perfection! My kids gave it a thumbs up as well. We will definitely be making this one again and again. -
Sharlene, you and Junebug made me a star at a family get together. I used organic baby spinach about 12 ounces. This salad should receive more than 5 stars. I let the apples and onion marinade in the sauce. Junebug's Baked Corn Casserole #36673.
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Wonderful salad and dressing! Only change I made was that I used walnuts because I didn't have pecans. The whole family loved it, and I have another half of a package of spinach to use to make it again tonight!! -
I served this over the weekend w/chicken and cannellini soup. Yummy! Thanks for posting!
see 68 more reviews
Tweaks
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Added Penzey's California Seasoned Pepper.
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Substituted the mustard with whole grain mustard and pecans with walnuts - still so refreshingly good! -
A great way to use up some apples! I used sliced almonds instead of pecans. So good, thanks!
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Definitely lives up the the reviews! Was nervous the dressing may not make enough, but it was perfect. Soaked the onions in the dressing for about 20 minutes, which took out the bite. Also substituted honey for sugar and candied the pecans. Will definitely make again, possibly including goats cheese. -
Yummy but hard to pick up the nuts on your fork. DD (toddler) even liked it a lot too. I did add sweetened dried cranberries like another reviewer but would not do so again. I used unrefined extra virgin olive oil, organic apple cider vinegar, regular mustard, local liquid honey instead of sugar to be much healthier, sea salt, peeled Mackintosh apple because it was not organic and the type I had on hand but I would like to try this with the called for kind of apple, vindalia onion instead of red onion out of preference, baby spinach mixed with baby arugula as that is what I had on hand (was fine and may do so again), I toasted the pecans in a dry pan, no sugar for health reasons, plus the freshly ground black pepper. I will try this again with the called for type of apple insha Allah (God willing).
see 4 more tweaks
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Sharlene~W
Campbell, California
I live in the San Francisco area and love it here. I discovered Recipezaar (then Food.com..Genius Kitchen) in 2001 and have been so happy to have my favorite recipes stored safely here. I am mother to 7 and grandmother to 7.
I love to knit, smock, sew, etc., but my favorite hobby of the moment is traditional rug hooking. This is a sample of what I do.? It's called "November".? I dyed most of the wool myself. It is made from wool flannel, cut into strips a little less than 1/4" and then worked into a linen backing. This is my 3rd rug.
