Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad (Printable Version)

Fluffy quinoa paired with crisp apples, cranberries, and honey mustard dressing, topped with crispy shallots.

# What You Need:

→ Quinoa

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 tsp 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 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Honey Mustard Dressing

10 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
11 - 2 tbsp honey
12 - 3 tbsp 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 Steps:

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 the liquid 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 2–3 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, extra virgin 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, 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 among plates and top each portion generously with crispy shallots. Serve immediately to maintain optimal texture.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The honey mustard dressing hits that perfect sweet and tangy balance that makes people go back for seconds before finishing their first plate.
  • Crispy shallots on top of anything make it feel like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • The shallots lose their crunch fast so always fry them right before serving or store them in a paper bag and re crisp in a low oven for five minutes.
  • Letting the quinoa cool completely before assembling prevents the spinach from wilting into a sad mess.
03 -
  • Shake the dressed salad with your hands wearing food safe gloves for the most even coating without bruising the spinach.
  • The dressing doubles as a fantastic dip for raw vegetables or a spread on sandwiches so always make a little extra.

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