Sweet & Savory Spinach Salad Recipe With Dates & Apples Is High-Fiber Fabulous (20 Minutes) High Fiber Recipes Salads Lunch Dinner Side Dishes Gluten-free Vegan Vegetarian

Summer is salad season! Although we should be eating salads all year long, summer's fresh produce makes it even easier to enjoy salads of all kinds. There are so many salad recipes on 30Seconds that I love, but this one is my current favorite. The sweet and savory spinach salad with dates and apples is high-fiber fabulous! Plus, check out the health benefits of spinach.

This nourishing high-fiber salad recipe is packed with flavor and nutrition. It offers a nice boost of protein, too. Check out the health benefits of fiber and the health benefits of protein. But what I love most about it is the taste. This easy-to-make salad offers a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors thanks to the buttery dates (check out the health benefits of dates), sweet apples and crunchy walnuts. The tangy vinaigrette dressing ties it all together in one irresistible bite. So good, plus check out the health benefits of apples and the health benefits of walnuts.

To make this hearty vegan and vegetarian salad recipe, here are the gluten-free ingredients you'll need to gather: extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, butter, paprika, cinnamon, Medjool dates, orange bell pepper, apples, chopped walnuts, baby spinach, flat-leaf parsley (check out the health benefits of parsley) and chives. You make the dressing first. Next, cook the bell pepper, apple and walnuts in the butter, paprika and cinnamon. Then, toss the greens in the dressing and scoop the mixture on top of the dressed greens. So simple yet so delicious, and low in sodium, too.

Serve this scrumptious salad for lunch any day of the week, or as a refreshing side dish for just about any dinner. I served it as a wholesome vegetarian dinner with these high-protein Boursin biscuits and it was just perfect.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper, to taste (optional, but I used about 1/4 teaspoon of each)

Salad

• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 8 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup apples, diced (I used honeycrisp)
• 3/4 cup orange bell peppers, diced (or your preferred color of bell pepper)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 chives, chopped
• 6 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley

Here's how to make it:

1. First, make the vinaigrette dressing. In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and mustard. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. Whisk to combine then give it a taste to see if you'd like to adjust any of the ingredients. Set aside.
2. Next, make the salad. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the butter. After it's melted, add the cinnamon and paprika and stir to combine.
3. Add the dates, apples and bell peppers. Stir to combine.
4. Add the walnuts and stir to combine.
5. Cook, stirring, until dates, apples and peppers have softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chives and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
6. Next, prepare the greens. To the large mixing bowl with the dressing, add the spinach and parsley. Toss to combine.
7. Scoop the greens onto a large serving plate or four individual plates.
8. Scoop the cooked mixture on top of the greens and serve. Garnish with additional chives or parsley, if desired. Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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