Quinoa and Broccoli Spoon Salad
Updated January 21, 2026
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds)
1 medium tart and crisp apple
4 ounces sharp Cheddar
¾ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
51 grams carbs; 19 milligrams cholesterol; 455 calories; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 600 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 21 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil on high and season aggressively with salt. Add the quinoa, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer; cook until plump and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve; rinse with cool water and drain well.
- Step 2
While the quinoa cooks, finely grate the zest of the lemon into a large bowl then cut the lemon in half. Add the olive oil, mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar, plus the juice of ½ lemon; whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 3
Peel the stem of the broccoli and trim off the dry end. Finely chop the entire broccoli and add to the dressing. Core the apple then finely chop the apple and the cheese; add to the broccoli and toss to combine.
- Step 4
Add the cooked quinoa, nuts and cranberries and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice, as needed. Store, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
Private Notes
Comments
Although this salad sounds great (with the exception of the cheddar, which I cannot eat) raw broccoli is not appealing. I always briefly parboil chopped broccoli then plunge in ice water to stop the cooking if I plan to use it in a salad. Not only does this improve the flavor, it brightens the color to a very pretty and palatable bright green.
A note on raw broccoli: Melissa Clark notes in her recipe for garlic broccoli salad with sesame dressing that the vinegar « cooks » the raw broccoli, kind of like happens with the fish in ceviche. I’ve tried it and it’s really good; it’s not like plain raw broccoli at all. I recommend that all the skeptics try it.
The cheddar is what tipped the balance for me and convinced me to add this to this week's meal list! But of course it isn't 100% necessary--the recipe police won't come to your house and arrest you if you leave it out. Or maybe you could replace it with crumbled feta...that sounds pretty good too.
This is a very good salad. I cut the lemon in half because we are not big lemon lovers. Chopping the broccoli into very small pieces keeps it from becoming rabbit food. I'm sure it will feed more like 8-10.
This was incredibly good. I was skeptical of the cheddar cheese, but it worked. I did use half walnuts with the pecans, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. I’ll add another apple to the copious amount of leftovers tomorrow. The recipe really makes a lot, but I loved being able to share with a couple of my close neighbors (who also loved it). I’m tempted to try it with grilled halloumi cubes instead of cheddar, but this dish is so good as is that I may resist tinkering for once. And, no, don’t parboil the broccoli—the dressing softens it deliciously. 😋
Delish and endlessly customizable. I swapped in pepitas for the nuts and added beans. But base recipe is perfect as is!