Try This Spinach Arugula Salad With Candied Pecans And Apples

This sweet and savory vegan salad is yet more evidence that salads are far from boring, and we bet you’ll come back to this recipe again and again.

Read more: 15 Vegan Salad Recipes

It comes from Elaine Gordon (owner of Eating by Elaine), and features a range of different flavors and textures. Ingredients like dairy-free feta, pecans, maple syrup, poppy seed salad dressing, arugula, and red onion all combine together perfectly to create this salad.

You can find the recipe for the poppy seed dressing here.

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Spinach arugula salad with candied pecans and apples

This refreshingly simple spinach arugula salad comes together in just minutes. The combination of peppery arugula, baby spinach, candied pecans, sweet apples, spicy red onion and vegan feta cheese crumbles creates a perfectly balanced and delicious salad. Toss it with a creamy homemade poppy seed dressing to take it to the next level!

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Ingredients

Candied pecans

• ½ cup raw pecans
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp salt

Salad

• 2 cups arugula (~3.5 ounces)
• 2 cups baby spinach (~3.5 ounces)
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
• ½ small red apple, thinly sliced (honeycrisp)
• ½ small green apple, thinly sliced (Granny Smith)
• ½ cup crumbled vegan feta cheese

Poppy seed dressing

• ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in advance*
• ¼ cup filtered water
• 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
• ½ large juicy lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp raw diced red onion
• ½ tsp fine salt
• ¼  tsp dry mustard
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds (add after first blend)

Instructions

Candy the pecans

• Toast raw pecans over low-medium heat in a non-stick skillet for 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
• Turn off the burner and stir in the maple syrup and sprinkle with salt, tossing well and spreading into an even layer in the pan (or on a parchment lined baking sheet off the skillet) to allow them to cool to room temperature.

Toss the salad

•  Add arugula, spinach, red onion, apples, vegan feta and cooled candied pecans to a large salad bowl or large mixing bowl. 
• Toss to combine then serve into individual salad bowls.
• Drizzle with the poppy seed dressing (or preferred dressing)
•  Enjoy immediately.

This recipe was republished with permission from Eating by Elaine. You can view the original recipe here. You can follow Elaine on Instagram here.

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