Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad (Printable)
Fluffy quinoa tossed with crisp apples, cranberries, and a tangy honey mustard dressing finished with crunchy fried shallots.
# 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 (Honeycrisp or Gala), diced
05 - 1 cup baby spinach, packed
06 - 1/2 cup chopped celery
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
16 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour for GF version)
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 boil over medium-high heat, then reduce 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 for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crisp. 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 smooth and well emulsified.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced apples, baby spinach, 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 among plates and top each serving generously with crispy shallots. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The honey mustard dressing hits that perfect sweet and sharp balance that makes you want to lick the bowl clean.
- Crispy shallots on top give everything a satisfying crunch that makes this salad feel like a real meal, not just a side afterthought.
02 -
- Do not skip the rinsing step for quinoa or you will end up with a soapy, bitter taste that no amount of dressing can fix.
- Fry the shallots in small batches because overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature and turns them greasy instead of crispy.
03 -
- Spread the cooked quinoa on a baking sheet to cool it faster and prevent it from turning gummy while it waits.
- Taste the dressing on a spoon before adding it to the salad and adjust the honey or vinegar until it makes you happy, because quinoa is bland on its own and the dressing does all the heavy lifting.