Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)

Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados (and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing) is so delicious that you should probably double the recipe while making it! I'm having trouble coming up with the perfect words to adequately describe the dish because it is so flavorful, but I'll try. Let's begin with the components of the salad. Fresh veggies (spinach), along with fresh fruit, almonds, and dried cranberries, are fantastic.

Take a look at how lovely the salad looks once all the ingredients have been combined. Just take a look at all those pure hues. I enjoy preparing salads with the brightest-colored fruits and vegetables:

But the amazing dressing, Marzetti Simply Dressed Balsamic Vinaigrette, is what really enhances the flavor of this salad and brings all the fresh fruit and produce together so well. My husband, who seldom has salads for lunch, ate an entire bowl of the dressing at midday and requested more. That's how amazing it is! I was surprised to see my spouse have such a large amount of salad for lunch.  One of the best-tasting store-bought balsamic vinaigrettes I've ever encountered, in my opinion!

I also appreciate that this dressing only calls for a few basic ingredients, such extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, etc. High fructose corn syrup, MSG, and artificial flavors or colors have not been introduced. This sauce, in my opinion, is a fantastic method for my family's diet to include more fresh fruit, veggies, and other food. Perfect for a modern way of life!

There is one more aspect of this dressing that I particularly value. I presently avoid gluten. Naturally, the first thing I did was go to the Marzetti Simply Dressed website. To my surprise, all of their dressings—with the exception of Ginger Sesame—have gluten-free labels. These days, there aren't many things that make me happier than finding a clear gluten-free label on a product I like!

Simply Dressed dressings from Marzetti must be refrigerated because they lack preservatives, so be sure to look for them in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store's produce section. You can be sure that I'll be researching and seeking for more of this brand's flavors because I'm extremely interested in trying their strawberry poppyseed, champagne, and pomegranate salad dressings.

The spinach will quickly wilt if the dressing is added before the salad is ready to be served. Just before you're ready to serve, add the dressing! Don't pour the entire amount of dressing at once; instead, use just enough to lightly coat the salad. Let your taste senses be your guide. Enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Avocados Ingredients

• 10 oz baby spinach about 10 cups of torn leaves
• 1 Granny Smith apple sliced
• 1 Gala apple sliced
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2 mandarin oranges whole fresh, peeled; or 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Instructions 

1. Pecan halves should be chopped into smaller pieces and left aside.
2. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, excluding the 1/4 cup of chopped pecan halves.
3. Apply the dressing to the salad and stir. The salad should be topped with chopped pecans. Serve right away.