Autumn Poppy Seed Spinach Salad is the perfect side to any dinner. It’s loaded with amazing toppings, good-for-you greens, and topped with the most delicious homemade poppy seed dressing.
Autumn Poppy Seed Spinach Salad
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This Autumn Poppy Seed Spinach Salad my very favorite salad. As you know, I have a sweet tooth (turtle brownies, caramel apple cheesecake…), so naturally I will choose a sweet salad over a savory salad every time. I guess I could blame it on my mom. She always had a fresh jar of this salad dressing in our fridge to throw together a salad at a moment’s notice.
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And how fun is the color of the dressing?! I love how the red onions turn it pink. You can use onion juice or another color onion instead but I love the pink color and flavor.
For this dressing you’ll need to pull out the blender. I used my new Wolf Gourment blender and it purees the onions in no time. After you puree and mix almost all the dressing ingredients you slowly stream in the oil while the blender mixes at a low speed. This allows the oil to fully combine with the vinegar instead of separating.
Add the poppy seeds last. If you add them with the onions you might end up with black dressing.
This poppy seed dressing is great on a strawberry spinach salad but sometimes the strawberries are just not looking pretty or they’re super expensive. Apples taste just as good and give the salad even more texture. You can use whatever kind of apple you prefer or have on hand. I usually use pink lady or fuji.
Cheese isn’t necessary… but it kinda is. I used to use mozzarella but have found that the white cheddar adds more flavor.
You may be tempted to just throw the pecans in raw but something magical happens when you toast nuts. They become crunchier and an even nuttier flavor. It really doesn’t take that much effort. Just do it!
This salad is always a hit a dinner parties. It’s the easiest healthy side or yummy lunch. Enjoy!
Tools used to make this Autumn Poppy Seed Spinach Salad:
Wolf Gourmet Blender– This blender is amazing! It a power house that can blend anything. I love it and use it for everything from smoothies, to soups, to dressings.
KitchenAid Blender– If you’re not ready to commit to a high power blender, this one is great! This one served me well in making smoothies and pureeing soups and sauces for 8 years.
Measuring Cups– I love these measuring cups! It has every single size measuring cup and spoon. I can’t stand sets that don’t come with 2/3 and 3/4 cups!
Autumn Poppy Seed Spinach Salad Video Tutorial
Autumn Poppy Seed Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 2 apples (fuji or pink lady)
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup pecans, toasted*
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
For the Dressing:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons red onion
- 1 cup canola or vegetagle oil
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
For the Salad:
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Toss all ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss. Serve immediately.
For the Dressing:
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In a blender, combine sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, and salt. Puree until smooth. While mixing on low speed, slowly stream in the oil, mixing until creamy. Add the poppy seeds and mix until combined.
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Place in a jar and store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Toast pecans for 10 minutes on a baking sheet at 350 degree F.
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