Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad (Printable View)
Fluffy quinoa, crisp apples, and tangy honey mustard dressing topped with crunchy fried shallots.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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), 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 may be substituted)
17 - 1/3 cup neutral oil, for frying
# How to Prepare:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff 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. Fry the shallots in batches until golden brown and crisp, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle lightly with salt.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced apples, baby spinach, celery, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and chopped parsley. Drizzle with the honey mustard dressing and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
05 - Divide the salad among plates and top each serving with a generous sprinkle of crispy shallots. Serve immediately to maintain optimal texture.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The honey mustard dressing hits that perfect sweet and sharp note that makes everything taste like you spent far longer than twenty minutes on it.
- Crispy shallots on top of anything feel extravagant, but they come together in a small skillet with almost no effort.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the quinoa or you will taste a soapy bitterness 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 crisp.
03 -
- Toast the pecans in a dry pan for three minutes before chopping them, it is a small step that doubles their flavor.
- Taste the dressing on its own before adding it to the salad and adjust aggressively, cold grains dull seasoning more than you expect.