Ingredients
Scale
For My Simple Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey (or pure maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 (5-6 oz) bag fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds (or chopped walnuts/pecans)
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese)
- 1/4 red onion, sliced paper-thin
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl or a glass jar with a lid, combine all the dressing ingredients: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake well until it’s all blended. You can make this up to a week ahead!
- Toast Your Nuts (My #1 Tip!): Place your slivered almonds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until they are golden brown and you can smell that lovely, nutty aroma. Remove them from the pan immediately so they don’t burn.
- Combine Salad: In your largest, prettiest serving bowl, add the fresh baby spinach, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, sliced red onion, and your toasted almonds.
- Toss and Serve (The Secret!): Just before you’re ready to serve, give your dressing one last shake and pour it over the salad. Toss gently until every leaf just sparkles, and serve right away!
Notes
- My #1 Tip (Dress It LAST!): To keep your spinach and cranberry salad perfectly crisp and not soggy, you must wait to toss it with the dressing until the very last minute before serving!
- Make it a Meal!: This chicken cranberry spinach salad is a wonderful, healthy lunch! Just top a big bowl of it with some sliced grilled chicken.
- Cheese Tip: If you’re not a fan of feta, crumbled goat cheese is just as lovely, or you can use shaved Parmesan cheese for a nuttier, salty flavor!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 3-5
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American