Spinach Goat Cheese Salad is loaded with crispy bacon and sweet apples, and topped with Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette. It has so many amazing textures and flavors going on - you'll want to make it again and again!
Add this salad to your meal plan this week! You'll also love my strawberry spinach salad.
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This Spinach Goat Cheese Salad starts with crispy bacon, crunchy tart apples, and lots of fresh spinach. I just love the creamy goat cheese, too!
And, we can't forget the homemade Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette - it's bright and fresh and so yummy.
This salad is wonderful for the Fall season and a great addition to your Thanksgiving table.
For another Fall salad, you'll want to check out my Roasted Beet Salad with Orange and Mint.
Ingredients
For the salad, you will need baby spinach, fresh apples, cooked bacon, and goat cheese. Chopped walnuts or pecans are optional.
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this lemon shallot vinaigrette.
- fresh lemons (for juice and zest)
- shallots
- Dijon mustard
- white wine vinegar
- fresh garlic
- olive oil
- kosher salt and ground pepper
Equipment
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Variations
- Blue cheese and feta cheese work wonderfully in this salad.
- If you don't have shallots, you can substitute red onion.
- Add a handful of dried cranberries or other dried fruit on top of the salad.
- White Balsamic vinegar also works just as well as white wine vinegar.
- Sprinkle on pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds on top.
- If you're looking to up the ante on your whole grains intake, plate this on a bed of farro or brown rice.
Similar Recipes
If you love salads as much as Mr. Juggling Act does, then you'll want to check out these posts next time:
- Panera Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Chicken Cobb Salad
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
Spinach Goat Cheese Salad
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Ingredients
Salad
- 1 large crisp apple
- 4 cups mixed greens with spinach
- 2 slices bacon cooked until crisp
- Chopped pecans or walnuts optional
- ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese
Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons shallots minced
- 1-¼ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1-¼ teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 small clove of garlic minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- kosher salt and ground pepper
Instructions
Salad
- Core and slice the apple. Put the apples into a large bowl and cover with cold water. Squeeze in the lemon juice and mix gently.1 large crisp apple
- Wash and pat dry the greens.4 cups mixed greens with spinach
- Remove the apples from the water and pat dry. Arrange on top of the greens.
- Top with crispy bacon pieces, goat cheese, and nuts if desired.2 slices bacon, Chopped pecans or walnuts, ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese
Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil, salt and pepper in the blender.½ teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons shallots, 1-¼ teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1-¼ teaspoons white wine vinegar, 1 small clove of garlic, kosher salt and ground pepper
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil so it emulsifies.⅓ cup olive oil
- Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the salad.
Mr. Juggling Act works a million hours a week. For starters, he drives 40 miles in the worst traffic to get to his office. He works 10 or more hours, before making the same brutal drive home. Some days, he doesn't even see the kids outside their beds!
Most nights, he eats leftovers, or makes a quick sandwich, before spending more time working at home. He's exhausted, and who would blame him? He works very hard to support our family and we're so grateful for it.
Every now and then, I like to surprise him with something that I made just for him. It's a little way to say 'I love you.' This Apple Goat Cheese Spinach Salad was created in one of those moments - I hope you love it as much as he did!
Meal Planning
Want to add this easy salad recipe to your meal plan? Download our free printable meal plan here.
This delicious salad is included in Meal Plan 32 along with:
- slow cooker pork and apples
- steak tacos
- brown sugar mashed potatoes
- apple carrot bread
- homemade fruit leather
- chili cheese tater tot casserole
... and more!
Be sure to check out all our meal plan ideas here.
Ang Paris says
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note - this salad is awesome! Hope you get the chance to try it soon 🙂
Lisa @ Fun Money Finds says
I love salads like this and will definitely be making it very soon! Thanks for sharing!
anita says
This looks delicious and not too hard to make! And I think my family will like a change of pace with food!
Evelyn says
Wow...
What a lovely post. I love salads and this recipe looks yummy. I am unaware of pink lady breed of apple. Will go and look for it in the store. Great way of using apple to this mouth watering salad. I guess this recipe is not hard to make and a good change for the taste buds. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Keep posting and keep sharing..
Regards;
Evelyn
Ang Paris says
Thanks so much for your comment! If you can't find Pink Lady apples, any crisp apple will work 🙂