A delicious salad recipe is always great to have on hand. This Apple Pecan Feta Spinach Salad fits the bill perfectly.

There’s something about a beautiful salad that everyone loves. This spinach salad with apples, candied pecans and Feta cheese is no exception. It’s simple, gorgeous and healthy. Plus, who can say no to candied pecans? Perfect for anytime of year. If you’ve ever wondered how to make candied pecans or the best method to keep cut apples from browning…this recipe is for you.

How to candy pecans:

You could always just buy some candied pecans to use in this salad, but why when it’s so easy to make them yourself? To candy the pecans, place the pecans (about ½ cup) in a dry saucepan set over medium high heat. Toss the pecans around in the pan until they are hot and fragrant. Sprinkle the sugar (about 1 tablespoon) over the pecans and turn the heat off. Toss the pecans with the sugar until the sugar liquifies and the pecans are coated in the sugar. Remove the pecans from the pan and allow to cool. Simple and beyond delicious.

How to keep apples from browning:

There are a few different methods to keep apples from browning when you cut them ahead of time. The salt water method is a great one because it will continue to keep the apples from browning even after they are rinsed of the salt water. Soak the cut apples in a solution of 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water. Rinse the salt water off right before adding the apples to the salad.

What kind of feta cheese is best for a salad?

Block or crumbled feta? It’s the age-old question. Here is my recommendation: buy the block and crumble it yourself at home before adding it to the salad. The pre-crumbled feta is drier than the block, so the block of feta cheese is better than crumbled.

How to assemble an Apple Pecan Feta Spinach Salad:

3 cups green leaf lettuce (spinach, red leaf or spring mix lettuce)
2 small apples, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans *candied (directions above)
4oz. feta cheese, crumbled (buy the block and crumble yourself)

Chop, rinse and spin dry the lettuce and place it in your serving bowl.
Add the apples, dried cranberries, pecans and feta cheese on top of the salad.

Delicious variations of this apple pecan feta salad:

add bacon cooked and crumbled
add red onion thinly sliced

How to make Honey Apple Dressing:

2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the top of the salad.
Toss the salad together to combine. Serve chilled.