Apricot Salad with Spinach, Cherries, Pecans, and Feta Cheese
Apricot Salad with Spinach, Cherries, Pecans, and Feta Cheese is a healthy Summer salad packed with fiber and antioxidants. It’s meatless, gluten-free, and high in fiber. This stone fruit salad will be a crowd-pleaser at Summer picnics, potlucks, barbecue parties, and other gatherings with family and friends.
Servings6 people
Calories247kcal
Ingredients
Balsamic Dressing
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup honey or brown sugar
Salad ingredients
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups apricots cored and sliced
- 2 cups fresh cherries cored and sliced in half
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup pecans
Instructions
Salad Dressing – Balsamic Glaze
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In a small saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar and honey over medium heat.
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Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and reduces by about half (about 10 or so minutes).
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Remove from heat and pour the balsamic glaze into a heat-proof bowl to cool off. The glaze will get thicker as it cools off.
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Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
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You can also use other balsamic dressing alternatives listed below in the Notes section.
Make salad
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I prefer to arrange the salad in individual bowls for presentation purposes.
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Add spinach to each individual salad bowl. Top with cored and sliced apricots, cored and sliced cherries, pecans (some whole, some chopped), and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle the Balsamic dressing over each individual salad bowl.
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Alternatively, you can combine all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl, add the dressing, and toss to combine.
Notes
Other salad dressing options:
- Use store-bought balsamic glaze.
- Honey balsamic vinegar dressing. Combine ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey in a mason jar and stir to combine.
- Balsamic vinaigrette. Combine ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons of honey + 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a mason jar and stir to combine.
- High-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy. Aged balsamic vinegar is often sold in specialized stores or sections of foreign foods at some grocery stores. High-quality Italian-made aged balsamic vinegar has a thicker consistency and does not need cooking down. Just use it as is.
- Or, use your favorite store-bought balsamic vinaigrette-based salad dressing.
Don’t like balsamic dressing? Make Honey Lemon Dijon Mustard Dressing instead:
- Combine ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard + 3 tablespoon honey + juice of 1 medium lemon in a mason jar and whisk with a fork to combine.
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 3324IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg