Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad (Printable Version)

Fluffy quinoa tossed with crisp apples, cranberries, and a tangy honey mustard dressing, topped with crispy shallots.

# 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 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 (or gluten-free flour blend)
17 - 1/3 cup neutral oil, for frying

# Directions:

01 - Combine rinsed quinoa, water, and fine sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, 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 before assembling.
02 - Toss sliced shallot rings in flour, shaking off any excess coating. Heat neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the shallots in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season lightly with salt.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously to emulsify. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced apples, baby spinach, chopped celery, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh parsley. Pour the honey mustard dressing over the top and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Divide the salad among four plates and top each portion generously with crispy fried shallots. Serve immediately to maintain optimal texture.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between warm, fluffy quinoa and cold, crisp apple pieces makes every bite interesting.
  • Crispy shallots on top turn a simple salad into something people genuinely ask about at potlucks.
  • The dressing uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry right now.
02 -
  • Do not dress the salad until right before serving, because the spinach wilts fast once the vinegar hits it.
  • Shallots burn quickly once the oil is hot, so stay at the stove and do not walk away even for a minute.
  • Cooled quinoa blends into the salad better than warm, so plan ahead and spread it on a sheet pan if you are in a hurry.
03 -
  • Spread the just cooked quinoa on a baking sheet to cool it fast without clumping.
  • Taste your apples before dicing, a tart apple and a sweet one together create the most interesting flavor in the bowl.

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