Apple Quinoa Salad

Here’s the thing about quinoa you should definitely keep in mind: it’s naturally coated in saponins, which can impart a strange, bitter-soapy flavor to your dish and, for added fun, can also act as a laxative. Fortunately, for those of us who would rather have the same squeaky-clean effect from a big banana-bran muffin and a double espresso, saponins are easy to remove. If you manage to plan ahead (I’ll admit it, I don’t always get that accomplished), you can soak the quinoa in water overnight and then drain and rinse it away. If you don’t remember to soak it overnight, you can always place it in a fine-meshed strainer and rinse under running water for a few minutes, or for the path of least resistance you can purchase quinoa that’s been pre-rinsed for you. Usually, that includes boxed and/or pre-packaged quinoa, and occasionally with some bulk suppliers.

Apple Quinoa Salad
Makes roughly 4 cups

1 T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 c quinoa, rinsed
1 ½ c water
½ c dry white wine
1 t Dijon mustard
½ t fresh thyme, minced
½ t kosher salt
1 t honey
½ t lemon zest
2 T walnut oil
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T fresh parsley, minced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 c wine-soaked raisins
½ c walnuts, toasted
¼ c goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Sweat the minced shallot in the olive oil until translucent, 1-2 minutes.

Add the quinoa, water, and white wine to the shallots. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and fluff with a fork.

Combine the Dijon mustard, minced thyme, kosher salt, honey, lemon zest, walnut oil, apple cider vinegar, and parsley in a food processor and emulsify.

Add the diced applies, celery, raisins, and toasted walnuts to the quinoa, then drizzle the emulsified vinaigrette over the mixture. Toss to combine, transfer to an air-tight container, and refrigerate one hour or until chilled. Serve cold, garnished with the goat cheese, if using.