Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad (Printable)
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 (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
16 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
17 - 1/3 cup neutral oil, for frying
# How To Make:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa, water, and fine sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the 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 thinly sliced shallot rings in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the shallots in small batches until golden 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, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper until 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 serving with a generous sprinkle of crispy shallots. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The honey mustard dressing hits that perfect sweet tangy balance that makes everything it touches taste better.
- Crispy shallots on top of anything instantly make it feel like you put in twice the effort you actually did.
02 -
- Crispy shallots lose their crunch within an hour, so always fry them last and keep them separate until the moment you serve.
- Dicing the apples uniformly small means every forkful gets a bit of sweetness instead of random jaw stretching chunks.
03 -
- Use a slotted spoon to move the shallots from oil to paper towels so you do not bring excess grease along for the ride.
- Whisk the dressing in a jar with a tight lid and shake it like you mean it for the smoothest emulsion you have ever seen.