Crisp, Sweet, and Nutty: The Apple Walnut Spinach Salad You’ll Crave

Apple Walnut Spinach Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

If fall could be tossed into one fresh, colorful salad bowl, this might just be it. 🍎🍁 Our Apple Walnut Spinach Salad is filled with crisp apples, tender baby spinach, sweet dried cranberries, creamy feta, and crunchy toasted walnuts — all finished with a homemade vinaigrette featuring Roasted Walnut Oil and Vermont Maple Dark Balsamic.

It’s fresh and crunchy with just enough cozy fall flavor to make it perfect for October. Serve it as an easy lunch, pair it with your favorite weeknight dinner, or put it on the table for fall entertaining and holiday gatherings.

A Fresh Taste of Fall

We love all the warm, roasted dishes that come with cooler weather, but sometimes a crisp fall salad is exactly what the table needs.

This one keeps things simple. Fresh spinach gives us a tender green base, apples add juicy crunch, dried cranberries bring a little sweetness, and feta adds that creamy, salty bite that makes everything more interesting.

Then come the walnuts — because if we're featuring Roasted Walnut Oil, a handful of toasted walnuts just feels right. 😉

What Makes This Fall Spinach Salad So Delicious?

• Crisp apples: Fresh, juicy, and naturally sweet with plenty of crunch.
• Baby spinach: Tender and mild enough to let all of those fall flavors shine.
• Dried cranberries: Add chewy little bursts of sweetness throughout the salad.
• Toasted walnuts: Bring rich nutty flavor and plenty of crunch.
• Feta cheese: Creamy and salty, making the perfect contrast to the apples and maple vinaigrette.
• Roasted Walnut Oil: Gives the dressing a rich, toasted nuttiness.
• Vermont Maple Dark Balsamic: Adds smooth maple sweetness with just the right balsamic tang.

Roasted Walnut Oil + Vermont Maple Balsamic

October's Pairing of the Month was practically made for a salad like this. 🍁

Our Roasted Walnut Oil gives the vinaigrette a wonderfully rich, toasted flavor that echoes the walnuts in the salad. Pair that with the sweet, cozy flavor of Vermont Maple Dark Balsamic, and you've got a dressing that's nutty, tangy, and just sweet enough.

A little Dijon mustard helps bring everything together, while a splash of lemon juice adds just enough brightness to balance those richer fall flavors.

It's simple, but seriously good — and you may want to make extra for tomorrow's salad. We certainly wouldn't blame you. 😉

Make It Your Own

This is one of those salads that's wonderfully easy to change depending on what you already have in your kitchen.

• Swap feta for goat cheese, blue cheese, or shaved Parmesan.
• Use pears instead of apples — or add a little of both.
• Try pecans in place of walnuts.
• Add grilled chicken or roasted turkey for extra protein.
• Add sliced red onion for a little extra bite.
• Use dried cherries instead of cranberries.
• Add roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash for an even heartier fall salad.

Can You Make This Salad Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! Prepare the Maple Walnut Vinaigrette a few days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Give it a good shake or whisk before serving, since the dressing will naturally separate as it sits.

You can also toast the walnuts and portion out the feta and dried cranberries ahead of time. For the freshest texture, wait to slice the apples and dress the spinach until shortly before serving.

A little lemon juice tossed with the sliced apples will also help keep them looking fresh if you need to prep them slightly ahead.

Perfect for Fall Dinners & Holiday Entertaining

With bright green spinach, ruby-red cranberries, crisp apples, creamy feta, and golden walnuts, this salad looks beautiful on a fall table without requiring much work at all.

Serve it alongside roast chicken, pork tenderloin, pumpkin ravioli, squash dishes, or your favorite cozy soup. It would also make a beautiful fresh addition to a Thanksgiving spread, where the crisp apples and maple vinaigrette provide a nice contrast to all those rich holiday favorites.

Bring on the Maple-Walnut Flavor

Crisp apples. Sweet cranberries. Toasted walnuts. Creamy feta. Fresh spinach. And that nutty maple vinaigrette tying every bite together.

This is exactly the kind of simple fall recipe we love — easy enough for Tuesday night but pretty enough to serve when company comes over.

Grab your Roasted Walnut Oil and Vermont Maple Dark Balsamic from The Little Shop of Olive Oils and give your next fall salad a delicious maple-walnut twist. 🍎🥗🍁