Last Updated on November 14, 2022

This apple walnut salad is crispy, creamy, and made with fresh ingredients. Tart apples, creamy avocado, and crunchy walnuts go together beautifully!

spinach apple salad with nuts

This apple walnut salad recipe is one of my favorite fall salads. It’s super convenient to make now that I have an apple tree in the backyard. It’s sweet, salty, tangy, and just a little bit smoky.

Plus, this salad with nuts is great if you’re not super hungry or are in the mood for something light and refreshing. It’s more of a side salad or pre-dinner salad. To make it a complete meal, it would need protein, and my favorite is falafel patties!

Serving it with warm falafel patties also transforms this salad into something that’s almost warming.

why you’ll love this apple walnut salad recipe

• Made with fresh ingredients
• Easy
• Vegan
• Packed with flavor
• Delicious any time of year
• Apple salad is easy to customize

apple salad ingredients

• 1 bunch of spinach, washed and dried (about 2.5 cups)
• 1/4 cup of walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 a cup of diced green apples
• 1/4 cup of red onions
• 1/4 cup of cashew cheese
• 1/2 and avocado
• balsamic vinaigrette
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• pinch of salt

how to make apple walnut salad

After all the ingredients are cleaned, prepped, and cut, add them all to a bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and serve. Enjoy!

spinach apple salad tips

• Remember to salt your salad leaves before dressing them. I find that this really elevates a salad and makes it super tasty. So, just a pinch of salt on the leaves goes a long way.
• Cut apples, onions, and avocado into uniform bite-sized pieces. It makes it easier to eat and looks pretty too.
• Feel free to add other fruits and veggies to this apple walnut salad! Sliced pears would be good. Or give it a drizzle of maple syrup for some added sweetness.
• You can make this apple walnut salad recipe with pecans, pistachios, almonds, or any other kind of nuts you enjoy.
• Add some citrus to this salad with nuts! Squeeze some lemon, lime, or orange juice to give it a burst of flavor.

frequently asked questions

what if I want a warm salad?

I really don’t like cold food (as I’m sure you’ve noticed me say countless times), and I often shy away from salads because they’re so cold.

If you’re like me, this is a really good salad for you because most of the ingredients in this salad are warm.

The walnuts, apples, and avocados are all stored at room temperature. Then I like to drizzle the spinach with a warm balsamic vinaigrette. This brings the whole salad to a nice room temperature making it ideal for fall!

Additionally, you can refrigerate the spinach apple salad and eat it cold as well. Completely up to you!

can I add fresh herbs?

Yes, absolutely! Parsley or oregano would both be great options for this apple walnut salad. But try out some different herbs to see what you like best.

what kind of apples do I need?

I prefer to use green apples because they are more tart than sweet. However, you can use honeycrisp, fuji, or any other kind of apples you like.

What are some of your favorite recipes? I’m thinking about making a dairy free cheddar and apple tart. It just sounds so delicious!