Apple and Spinach Salad

I love winter for the thick soups that make meals easy. Soup and salad has always eluded me though. I don't know how to eat from a soup bowl and a salad bowl at the same time.

However, it's important to eat raw food as well as cooked, so when I served Thick Bean and Tomato Soup this week, I started the meal with a plate of this Apple and Spinach Salad.

Usually I just toss the ingredients together in a bowl and we serve ourselves, but layered on small plates they looked very pretty. We ate our plates of salad and then bowls of awesome soup. Quite the satisfying meal.

The dressing is slightly sweet and very good on all green salads. There will be more than is necessary for this meal - save it for other salads in the week. It will last a few weeks in the fridge.

Apple and Spinach Salad
4 large handfuls of spinach
1 apple (I used cameo)
1 small carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
3/4 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil

Wash spinach well. Dry and remove any large stems. Tear into bite-sized pieces and spread on 2 small plates.

Slice apple and carrot into bite-sized pieces. Place on spinach, along with onion and tomatoes. Sprinkle blue cheese on top.

Whisk together the vinegar, honey and olive oil. Serve on the side. (Or toss the spinach with some of the dressing before placing on the plate. Serve the extra dressing on the side.)

Serves 2