Tis the season for apples 🍎🍏 and for today’s post, I’m featuring a yummy Apple Spinach Salad with a Champagne Vinaigrette I made for a friend’s lakeside BBQ.

We’re lucky enough to live near a couple of farms and since I was bringing the salad for dinner, I decided to visit Tendercrop Farm at the Red Barn for inspiration. Tendercrop is pretty special with it’s Sunflowers, Corn Maze, live music, delicious farm goods, etc.

As soon as I arrived at Tendercrop, inspiration beckoned because they had their own honeycrisp apples front and center. With that, I decided on an Apple Spinach Salad. Thankfully Tendercrop had exactly what I needed to complete the salad, spinach, apple, red onion and roasted pecans.

I love when apples are made savory and that’s exactly what this salad is with it’s zesty Champagne Vinaigrette.

Apple Spinach Salad

• 1 bag (10oz) of spinach
• 1 apple, sliced thinly
  • I used Honeycrisp
• 1 cup of roasted pecans or walnuts, halved
• 1/2 of a small red onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese or feta
• 1/2 cup of Champagne Vinaigrette, see below

Champagne Vinaigrette

• 6TBS of EVOO
• 2TBS of Champagne, Prosecco or Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1TBS of dijon mustard
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• Salt & pepper

Spinach Apple Salad Instructions

• Add the spinach, apples, roasted pecans/walnuts, red onion and goat/feta to a large salad bowl.

• Drizzle with the Champagne Vinaigrette and toss until well combined.

• Serve immediately with your favorite grilled protein, like my Marinated Flank Steak or Chili Lime Grilled Chicken. Enjoy and cheers 🥂

Champagne Vinaigrette Instructions

• Add all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until well combined or add all ingredients to a mason jar or bottle, cover, and shake until well combined.