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Looking down at a bed of arugula topped with quinoa, diced apple, and crispy shallots, drizzled with honey mustard vinaigrette.

Honey Mustard Quinoa Apple Salad with Crispy Shallots

A quinoa salad tossed with honey mustard vinaigrette, crisp apple, arugula, and topped with crispy fried shallots.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Quinoa and Fried Shallots
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa 180 g
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock 480 ml
  • 1/3 cup olive oil 80 ml
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (for frying shallots) 80 ml
Vinaigrette
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more for topping
Salad Assembly
  • 5 cups arugula
  • 1/4 cup parsley, freshly chopped
  • 1 large or medium apple (look for a sharp, crisp apple)
  • 1/4 cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
  • shaved or grated Parmesan

Method
 

Quinoa and Fried Shallots

  1. Cook Quinoa in Stock:

    Place quinoa in a medium saucepan and pour stock over it. Heat on medium-high until boiling, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until liquid is fully absorbed, roughly 15-20 minutes. Move quinoa to a bowl to speed up cooling.

  2. Fry Shallots in Oil:

    While quinoa cooks, prepare the shallots. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add sliced shallots and 1/3 cup olive oil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until golden and crispy. Remove from heat.

  3. Drain and Season Shallots:

    Set a sieve over a small bowl and pour the shallot mixture through, separating oil from shallots. Transfer shallots to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt. Let the oil cool for at least 5 minutes.
Vinaigrette

  1. Whisk Vinaigrette:

    Prepare the vinaigrette: In the bowl with the cooled oil, add apple cider vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well blended. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Salad Assembly

  1. Toss Salad with Dressing:

    In a large salad bowl, combine quinoa, arugula, parsley, apple, pepitas, and fried shallots. Toss to mix, then drizzle vinaigrette over the top. Toss again to coat. Finish with a grind of black pepper and serve.