Tender baby spinach, crunchy apples and pears, salty walnuts and briny feta cheese tossed in a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. This winter fruit salad is just what you need after a heavy holiday meal! 

Tender baby spinach, crunchy apples and pears, salty walnuts and briny feta cheese tossed in a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. This winter fruit salad is just what you need after a heavy holiday meal! 

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year! I know it sounds cliche to say, but I really do love this time of year. The chilly weather, delicious food, and good company. My family always cooks the best meals for the holidays and I love indulging in lots of creamy and savory dishes, like mashed potatoes, roasted meats, and my mom’s Christmas strudel. 

After the holidays have come and gone, my body always craves something a little lighter and fresh. Today’s recipe is perfect for “returning to normal” after holiday meals — crunchy, savory, and light! 

Tender baby spinach, crunchy apples and pears, salty walnuts and briny feta cheese tossed in a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. This winter fruit salad is just what you need after a heavy holiday meal! 

Winter fruits such as apples and pears make up the bulk of this salad, tossed with baby spinach (I julienned the spinach to make it more even pieces and easier to shovel on to a fork and into my mouth), feta cheese, walnuts, and dried cranberries. I used honeycrisp apples because they’re in season in the winter, and Bartlett pears.

Make sure that your pears are ripe for this salad — there’s nothing worse than biting into a sandy unripe pear! Test your pears for ripeness at the store by pressing your thumb on the neck of the pear. If it gives a little, it’s ripe. If there are only unripe pears available at the store, purchase them anyway and set them out on the counter next to some apples or tomatoes. They’ll ripen up in a few days. 

The dressing is a delicious basic olive oil and lemon vinaigrette with poppy seeds. I love the crunch that poppy seeds provide– they’re so tiny that they evenly disperse amongst the salad and add a little crunch to each bite!  

Tender baby spinach, crunchy apples and pears, salty walnuts and briny feta cheese tossed in a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. This winter fruit salad is just what you need after a heavy holiday meal! 

Serve this salad alongside a piece of crusty bread and a hot soup and you’ve got yourself a complete meal. 

Here’s the recipe for Winter Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing: 

Winter Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Tender baby spinach, crunchy apples and pears, salty walnuts and briny feta cheese tossed in a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. This winter fruit salad is just what you need after a heavy holiday meal! 

Servings 4
Author Emily Weeks, RDN, LD

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ Tbsp poppy seeds
  • 10 oz baby spinach
  • 2 oz feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup salted walnut pieces
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 1 pear, diced

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion powder, mustard, and salt. Whisk well. Add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and whisk further to mix well. 

  2. In a large serving bowl, toss together the baby spinach, feta cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.

Tender baby spinach, crunchy apples and pears, salty walnuts and briny feta cheese tossed in a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. This winter fruit salad is just what you need after a heavy holiday meal!