Quinoa Broccoli Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Quinoa Broccoli Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

  • 1 pound broccoli
  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or more lemon juice, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon honey, more to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste

COOK QUINOA: rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water for a minute or two. In a medium-sized pot, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let the pot rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess water and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool. Meanwhile, In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl to cool. PREP BROCCOLI: slice the florets off the stems into manageable pieces. Use a paring knife to peel off the tough, woody perimeter of the broccoli stems and then discard those pieces. Now you can feed the broccoli florets through your food processor using the slicing blade, then switch to the grating blade to shred the stems. Alternatively, you can shred the broccoli with a mandoline or by hand with a sharp knife. Prepare the dressing in a liquid measuring cup: combine the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, honey, garlic, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk until emulsified. The dressing should be pleasantly tangy but not overwhelmingly acidic, so taste and add a little more honey to balance out the flavors if necessary. In a large serving bowl, combine the broccoli slaw, cooked quinoa and toasted almonds. Pour the dressing over the mixture, top with the chopped basil and toss until well mixed.

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