Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad (Printable version)
Fluffy quinoa meets crisp apples and tangy honey mustard dressing, topped with golden crispy shallots for a satisfying crunch.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Quinoa
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Salad
04 - 2 crisp apples (such as Honeycrisp or Gala), cored and diced
05 - 1 cup baby spinach, packed
06 - 1/2 cup celery, chopped
07 - 1/3 cup dried cranberries
08 - 1/4 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Honey Mustard Dressing
10 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
11 - 2 tablespoons honey
12 - 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
13 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Crispy Shallots
15 - 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
16 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour may be substituted)
17 - 1/3 cup neutral oil, for frying
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine rinsed quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork and allow to cool completely.
02 - Toss the sliced shallot rings in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in small batches, fry the coated shallots for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle lightly with salt while still warm.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously to form a well-emulsified dressing. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced apples, baby spinach, chopped celery, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh parsley. Pour the honey mustard dressing over the salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Divide the salad among serving plates and top each portion generously with crispy fried shallots. Serve immediately to maintain optimal texture and freshness.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The crispy shallots on top will ruin you for regular croutons forever and I stand by that.
- It manages to feel like a real meal without weighing you down which is rarer than it sounds.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the quinoa or you will taste a bitter, soapy film that no amount of dressing can hide.
- Fry the shallots in small batches because overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature and turns them greasy instead of crisp.
03 -
- Dice the apples right before assembling and squeeze a tiny bit of lemon juice on them if you are prep work ahead of time to prevent browning.
- The secret to a dressing that actually emulsifies is pouring the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking furiously rather than dumping it all at once.