If fall could be tossed into one fresh, crunchy salad, this might just be it. 🍎🍂 Our Apple & Walnut Fall Salad combines crisp apples, sweet dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts and fresh baby spinach with a homemade poppy seed dressing featuring Gravenstein Apple White Balsamic Vinegar and Roasted Walnut Oil.
It’s sweet, tangy, nutty and wonderfully fresh — exactly the kind of salad we love when those first cool fall days arrive. And because it comes together in just minutes, it’s just as perfect for an easy weeknight dinner as it is for a beautiful Thanksgiving or autumn entertaining spread.
A Simple Salad Made for Fall
There’s something about apples and walnuts that immediately makes a salad feel like fall. Add dried cranberries and a sweet-tangy apple vinaigrette, and suddenly a simple bowl of spinach becomes something you actually look forward to eating.
This recipe keeps things wonderfully easy. There’s no roasting, cooking or complicated prep involved. Just slice your apple, toss everything together and drizzle it with that delicious homemade dressing.
Simple ingredients. Big fall flavor. That’s our kind of recipe!
What Makes This Apple & Walnut Salad So Good?
- Crisp apples: Fresh, juicy and just sweet enough to balance the tangy dressing.
- Baby spinach: A tender, fresh base that lets all of those fall flavors shine.
- Dried cranberries: Add little pops of chewy sweetness throughout the salad.
- Walnuts: Bring plenty of crunch and pair beautifully with apples.
- Gravenstein Apple White Balsamic: Adds a bright, fruity apple flavor with the perfect sweet-tangy finish.
- Roasted Walnut Oil: Gives the dressing a rich, toasted nuttiness that ties the entire salad together.
- Poppy seeds: Add texture and turn a simple vinaigrette into something a little extra special.
Gravenstein Apple Balsamic + Roasted Walnut Oil = A Perfect Fall Pairing
The dressing might be our favorite part of this recipe.
Our Gravenstein Apple White Balsamic Vinegar has a naturally bright apple flavor that makes it such an easy choice for fall salads. Pair it with our rich, nutty Roasted Walnut Oil, and you get a vinaigrette that tastes like it was made for crisp apples, cranberries and leafy greens.
A little shallot, ground mustard and poppy seeds round everything out, creating a dressing that’s fruity, savory, tangy and just a little sweet.
And definitely hang onto any extra dressing — you’ll find plenty of reasons to use it! 😉
Make It Your Own
One of the best things about a simple fall salad is how easy it is to customize with whatever you already have in the kitchen.
- Add crumbled goat cheese, feta or blue cheese for a creamy finish.
- Swap the apple for fresh sliced pears — or use a little of both.
- Toast the walnuts for even more rich, nutty flavor.
- Add grilled chicken or turkey to turn it into a satisfying lunch or light dinner.
- Try pecans in place of walnuts.
- Add sliced red onion for a little extra bite.
- Use mixed greens or arugula if spinach isn’t your favorite.
Can You Make This Fall Salad Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! The poppy seed dressing is perfect for making ahead and keeping in the refrigerator. It will naturally separate as it sits, so just give it a good shake or whisk before serving.
You can also prep the cranberries and walnuts ahead of time. For the freshest texture, wait to slice the apple and dress the spinach until shortly before serving.
That makes this an especially easy salad when you’re entertaining — most of the work can already be done before your guests arrive.
A Beautiful Salad for Your Thanksgiving Table
With bright green spinach, crisp apples, ruby-red cranberries and toasted walnuts, this salad looks just as good as it tastes.
Serve it alongside roast chicken, pork tenderloin, turkey or your favorite fall comfort foods. It also makes a beautiful fresh addition to a Thanksgiving table, where that bright apple vinaigrette is a welcome contrast to all those rich holiday dishes.
Bring on the Fall Flavors
Crisp apples. Sweet cranberries. Crunchy walnuts. Fresh spinach. And a homemade poppy seed dressing that brings every bite together.
Sometimes the simplest recipes really are the best — especially when you start with flavors that were meant for each other.
Grab your Gravenstein Apple White Balsamic and Roasted Walnut Oil from The Little Shop of Olive Oils and give your next fall salad a delicious seasonal twist. 🍎🥗🍂
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