Spinach, Apple & Gouda Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

For a light, delicious and simple dinner, this spinach, apple & gouda salad with homemade honey mustard dressing can’t be beat.

I’m not suggesting that if you were to make and devour a batch of the peanut butter caramel cookie bars you’d need to do something wild and crazy like eat only salad for a week. But. I won’t stop you either, especially when there are salads like this to carry you through.

It’s so good, you won’t even remember you put yourself into a salad timeout for excessive peanut butter caramel consumption.

In a million years I never would have thrown these salad ingredients together, but this, like many others, falls into that category of: don’t knock it til you try it.

The chopped spinach, smoky gouda, toasted almonds + bell peppers + crisp apples (hello, crunch) drizzled with the tangy, sweet dressing makes for one seriously yummy salad. Plus, the colors. So pretty, don’t you think?

I realized a couple of years ago, after observing a friend who makes the best salads in all the land, that any dinner, even the simplest of simple dinners (yes, I’m talking to you hot dogs), can be elevated by a killer salad.

A really beautiful, delicious, more-than-just-bagged-lettuce salad can make you look like a rock star with hardly any extra work.

This lovely chopped spinach number is no exception and the 5-second (ok, 10-second) homemade honey mustard dressing is worth making it alone.

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Three Years Ago: Honeydew, Blueberry and Mango Salad with Lime-Ginger Reduction

Chopped Spinach and Smoked Gouda Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

4.67 stars (3 ratings)

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Ingredients

Dressing:

• 10 tablespoons honey
• 5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar

Salad:

• 6 ounces baby or regular spinach, chopped
• ½ cup sweet crisp apple, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallot or red onion
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• ½ cup smoked Gouda cheese, cubed
• ⅓ cup chopped lightly salted almonds, toasted

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Instructions 

• For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve (or up to a week or so).
• For the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together. Add the dressing, to taste, and toss to combine or serve individual servings with the dressing alongside.

Notes

Smoked Gouda: has a very strong, distinctive, delicious flavor – if you aren’t a fan, try subbing in another soft cheese like regular gouda, havarti, or monterey jack.

Author: Mel

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Method: No-Bake

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 328mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 32g

Recommended Products

Salad/Serving Bowl

Vitamix Blender

Kitchen Tongs

Recipe Source: from a recipe sent to me by a reader, Emily B. who got it from a friend (Rebe M.) originally from the BYU Museum of Art Cafe (I omitted the celery and made my own simple honey mustard dressing adapted from this recipe on Food Network)

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Amazing Spinach Salad with Sweet-Spicy Nuts, Apples, Feta and Bacon

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Asiago Crisped Spinach and Raspberry Salad

Amazing Romaine Salad with Light Poppy Seed Vinaigrette