Spinach Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Feta

I’ll be honest: I don’t often get creative with my salads. If you come over for dinner, I’ll likely be serving a big bowl of greens tossed with a basic vinaigrette. (You could either call me a purist or boring; I like to think it’s the former.)

When I want to glam it up without really trying, I simply toss fruit, cheese, and nuts into the mix. This is the kind of salad you make once and never have to look at the recipe again after that. It’s infinitely adaptable and is always welcome on the table, no matter the day or season.

This spinach salad is one to memorize. Chopped apple adds tart crunch, toasted walnuts lend heft, feta provides salty intrigue, and it’s all tied together with a quick honey-sweetened apple cider vinaigrette. It’s a salad that pairs well with most main dishes, but could just as easily be enjoyed for lunch on its own if you’re not starving, or topped with chicken if you’re craving more.

What really makes this salad great, though, is how interchangeable the ingredients are. Swap arugula or baby kale for the spinach and slip in whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand in place of the apple, like berries or stone fruit. If you’d rather use pecans or almonds instead of walnuts, go right ahead — and of course, crumbled goat cheese would make a lovely replacement for the feta.