• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Simply delicious oil-free vegan recipes

  • Recipe Index
    • Recipes by Category
    • Recipes by Tag
    • Recipe Box
  • About Me
    • Press
  • NewsBites
  • Shop!
  • Website

Spicy Apple-Walnut Salad with Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Dressing

March 28, 2012 By Susan Voisin 60 Comments
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

Jump to Recipe Share on Facebook

Spicy Apple-Walnut Salad with Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Dressing

There’s an unwritten rule of food blogging that says, “When you don’t have anything else to write about, blog your lunch.” Or at least that’s been my formerly unwritten rule, and it’s served me well because it’s led me to create some of my favorite lunches: Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas and Mustard Greens, Hot Skillet Salad, and Sea-sational Chickpea Salad, among others. I have a tendency to get more creative with my lunch when I suspect I may be sharing it with the world.

But I didn’t get creative this time. What you see before you is the salad that I have three or four times a week, and the only special thing I did to it was to use some beautiful lettuces I got from the farmers’ market instead of my usual romaine:

Speckled lettuce from farmer's market

Pretty Speckled Lettuce from the High Heeled Hippie at MS Farmers’ Market

But even if it’s not super creative, I’m so addicted to this salad that I just had to share.

I don’t know exactly when it happened, but sometime after reading Eat to Live and deciding to eat Mega-Huge salads almost every day, I grew to like my salads spicy. I started with strictly spicy salads like Taco Salad, and somewhere along the way I fell in love with the combination of sweet and spicy. There’s something about biting into a crisp, sweet chunk of apple while my mouth is pulsating with heat that makes eating a salad more exciting than it has any right to be. My current favorite salad seasoning is Vulcan’s Fire Salt, a fiery, habanero-infused salt from The Spice House that I think tastes great on salads.

Don’t worry–I’m not going to make you buy some special seasoning just to make this salad. I’m sure heat lovers will love it with diced jalapenos or even Creole seasoning. And if you’re not a fan of the burning mouth, you can go mild and just omit the peppers and I won’t think any less of you. Or just try the dressing, which is fat-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, and preservative-free–so you can use it freely.
Spicy Apple-Walnut Salad with Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Dressing

Spicy Apple-Walnut Salad with Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Dressing
5 from 11 votes
Print SaveSaved! Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box

Spicy Apple-Walnut Salad with Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Dressing

The sweetness from apples and raisins combined with the spice of jalapeño makes this unusual salad a total delight.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 5 cups romaine lettuce about 1 romaine heart, chopped
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup clover sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, or broccoli slaw
  • 2 tablespoons Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Vinaigrette or other dressing, see below
  • 1 small apple chopped
  • 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas or your choice of beans
  • 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 1/2 jalapeno chile stemmed, seeded and finely diced --add more or less to taste*
  • additional dressing to taste
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Combine the lettuce, spinach, and sprouts or broccoli slaw in a large salad bowl and toss well with balsamic dressing. Top with the remaining ingredients and drizzle with a little more dressing, if desired.

Notes

Instead of the jalapeno, you can use any spicy seasoning or salt. My current favorite is The Spice House's Vulcan's Fire Salt, an extra-spicy blend made with habanero peppers.
The nutritional count below includes walnuts, which contribute 48 calories and 4.6 grams of fat.
Nutrition Facts
Spicy Apple-Walnut Salad with Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 salad)
Calories 377 Calories from Fat 77
% Daily Value*
Fat 8.5g13%
Sodium 96mg4%
Carbohydrates 66g22%
Fiber 18g75%
Sugar 31g34%
Protein 14.5g29%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Salad
Cuisine Oil-Free, Vegan
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Share on Facebook Share by Email

Fat-Free Balsamic Raisin Dressing

Fat-Free Balsamic Raisin Dressing
5 from 11 votes
Print SaveSaved! Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box

Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Vinaigrette

You can make this dressing sweeter by using apple or white grape juice instead of water. Or add a little spiciness by mixing in a tablespoon of spicy mustard. Or add creaminess by blending in a teaspoon of tahini or a tablespoon of raw cashews.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 12
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins see note below
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice or 1 tablespoon regular lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mellow white miso or salt to taste
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until liquified. Pour into a storage container and refrigerate until thickened slightly. Stir or shake well before using.

Notes

If you're not using a high-powered blender such as the VitaMix, you may get smoother results by soaking the raisins in the water until they are plump and then blending.
Nutrition Facts
Fat-Free Balsamic-Raisin Vinaigrette
Amount Per Serving (2 tablespoons)
Calories 28 Calories from Fat 2
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.2g0%
Sodium 21mg1%
Potassium 41mg1%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Sugar 3.5g4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Salad Dressing
Cuisine Oil-Free, Vegan
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Share on Facebook Share by Email

Please pin and share!

This vegan salad combines the sweetness of apples and raisins with the heat of jalapeño peppers and a naturally sweetened fat-free balsamic dressing.

Filed Under: Lunches, One Pot Meals, Recipes, Salad Dressings, Salads Tagged With: Chickpea Recipes, Eat-to-Live, Gluten-free, KISSS, Ridiculously Easy, Soy-free

Get NewsBites!

Sign up for our newsletter to receive new recipes & tips by email!

Privacy Policy
Previous Post: « Pasta and Vegetables with White Sauce
Next Post: Strawberry Mini Muffins »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda

    April 10, 2014 at 10:22 am

    Hi, Susan – this combo looks terrific! I saw that you used dates in the salad dressing instead of the raisins – do you think I could use figs as well, soaked? How many would you suggest? Thanks so much for all you do! We love Loki! 🙂

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      April 10, 2014 at 11:18 am

      Sure! I think it’s safe to use any dried fruit that you like, and figs would have a great flavor. I love that you love Loki! He’s a special kitty!

      Reply
  2. Anne

    July 16, 2014 at 5:19 pm

    Just made this dressing and poured it over chopped salad – tastes wonderful!

    Reply
  3. gP

    September 1, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    Can I maked this with regular (black raisins)? Are the basil and oregano dried or fresh?

    Been searching in vain for a homemade palatable oil free salad dressing. thanks!

    Reply
  4. Chery

    November 26, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    I didn’t have raisins so I used three dates instead. Also blended those chickpeas right into the dressing. Yum! White balsamic vinegar is pricey, but it’s way worth it.

    Reply
  5. Constanze

    November 14, 2021 at 9:59 am

    What a Great combo! The first oil free salad dressing I actually enjoy 🙂
    And so versatile too, For the next batch I‘ll try different herbs and dried figs.

    Thank you so much, Susan.
    Greetings from Germany!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to My Kitchen!

Susan VoisinI'm Susan Voisin, and I love creating delicious whole foods plant-based dishes with no added oil. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Find It Fast

  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Ridiculously Easy Recipes
  • Weight Watchers Recipes
  • Recipes by Tag (ingredient, gluten-free, etc.)
  • Complete Recipe Index

Find a Recipe

Allergens

All of my recipes are vegan, dairy-free, and fish free. To find recipes free of other allergens, click on an icon below.

Gluten FreeNut FreeSugar FreeSoy Free

Footer

Fall Favorites

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin

See More Fall Favorites

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Photos, original recipes, and text © Susan Voisin. All rights reserved. Do not republish content without permission.

Nutritional information is approximate and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. This site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers™️ and cannot guarantee accuracy of Points™️.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 · Susan Voisin · Privacy Policy· Log in