Prepare the spinach by rinsing in cold water and spinning with a salad spinner if needed. If you have pre-washed spinach, skip this step.
Slice the onions and apples, and get out the coriander, fennel, black pepper and pecans. Roughly chop pecans if needed.
Cook the salad
Add ghee to a medium skillet on medium heat. Add pecans or walnuts and sauté until lightly browned. Add cardamom, fennel, and black pepper, and sizzle gently for 20 seconds. Add the onions and apples, along with a pinch of salt, and stir until the onions wilt.
Add prepared spinach into the salad and toss continuously for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer into a serving bowl. The spinach leaves should be only partially cooked or wilted.
Garnish with optional avocado slices. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!
Notes
Make this vegan!
Substitute the ghee for olive oil.
Fennel and coriander powder
You can purchase fennel seeds or fennel powder. If you purchase the seeds, you can turn them into a powder using a coffee grinder reserved for grinding spices. You will heat the fennel seed in a small skillet until warm and just starting to smoke. Allow to cool, then grind and store in a glass jar. Coriander is available as power or a seed. For this recipe, you need a powder. So again, you could grind fresh seeds in a coffee grinder.
Tip for the apples and avocado (from Wendy)
If you cut them before, you can add lemon to the apples and avocado so they do not brown ). I cut them before serving.
Substitute balsamic vinegar for any vinaigrette you like (from Wendy)