Spinach Salad with Apples and Poppy Seed Dressing

I discovered something about my kids a little bit ago, and it was completely by accident. My kids like salad. I mean, they actually LIKE salad. As in, I give it to them, and they eat it. ALL.

One day, there I was, minding my own business, watching the girls play while eating my lunch – you guessed it, a salad. I don’t remember exactly what was in it now, but that’s neither here nor there. The girls, always curious about what I’m eating, came over to check out my plate. Now, usually, they’ll take one look, mutter their disappointment that it’s not something they want, and move on. So you can imagine my surprise when not one but both of them asked to try it. I expected some form of “yucky” face, or an “ewwww!” but it never came. They LIKED it. Ok then! Makes my life easier.

This salad in particular is a wonderful recipe for your kids – not just to eat, but to make as well. It’s simple yet delicious, and the homemade dressing ensures that you know exactly what’s going into their little tummies. Oh, and remember those parmesan crisps I told you about the other day? They’re the PERFECT accompaniment.

Y’all, your kids can SO easily make this dressing themselves. If you need to, help them pick out the correct measuring spoons and let them add the dressing components to the bowl. Once it’s all in there, give it a whisk until it’s well combined. You can do this ahead of time – the morning of, or a day in advance if you’d like.

Next, grab a medium sized bowl and add the “dry” ingredients. Spinach, apples, walnuts and chicken (unless you want to go meatless – if that’s the case, sub chickpeas for the chicken if you’d like). Pour half of the dressing over top of the spinach mixture and toss to combine. If you’d like more dressing, add a little at a time until the amount is right. Refrigerate any remaining dressing in a sealed container for later use.

Serve with those parmesan crisps and enjoy!