Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad (Printable Version)
Fluffy quinoa tossed with crisp apples, honey mustard dressing, and crunchy fried shallots for a refreshing meal.
# What You Need:
→ Quinoa
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Salad
04 - 2 crisp apples (Honeycrisp or Gala), 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, thinly sliced into rings
16 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
17 - 1/3 cup neutral oil, for frying
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool completely.
02 - Toss sliced shallot rings in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry shallots in small batches until golden brown and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle lightly with salt.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is smooth and fully emulsified.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced apples, baby spinach, chopped celery, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh parsley. Drizzle the honey mustard dressing over the top and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
05 - Divide the salad among plates and top each portion with a generous sprinkle of crispy fried shallots. Serve immediately to maintain optimal texture.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The honey mustard dressing walks that beautiful line between sweet and tangy, and it clings to every grain of quinoa like it was meant to be there.
- Crispy shallots on top of anything feel indulgent, but on this salad they turn each bite into something you will keep thinking about the next day.
02 -
- If you add the crispy shallots too early, they will soften into sad little ribbons within minutes, so always keep them separate until the absolute last moment.
- Cooling the quinoa completely before assembling is critical because warm quinoa will wilt the spinach and turn your crisp salad into something limp and unappetizing.
03 -
- Test the oil temperature for frying shallots by dropping in one tiny piece of flour-coated shallot first: if it sizzles immediately and floats, the oil is ready, and if it sinks, wait another 30 seconds.
- Whisk the dressing in a jar with a tight lid and shake vigorously for 15 seconds instead of using a bowl, because it emulsifies faster and you can store any leftover dressing right in the same jar.