This honey mustard quinoa salad is a delicious side dish that’s full of flavor! Ham and peas round out this gluten free salad. This is the perfect addition to a potluck or backyard barbecue.
When you go to a party or potluck, there are often many different salads to choose from. You might see some classics, like potato salad, macaroni salad, and coleslaw.
Those are all wonderful dishes, but if you’re in the mood to bring something different, try this easy quinoa salad. It’s not your typical quinoa salad – the addition of ham and peas adds saltiness and freshness, and the sweet, savory honey mustard dressing is out of this world.
This dressing is really good (I want to put it on everything now), so I wrote the recipe for a larger amount. Since quinoa seems to really absorb any sort of dressing, my suggestion is to put half the amount of dressing on before serving, and then have the rest on the side for those who would like to add more. If you have leftover salad, keep the dressing separate so that you can add it right before you eat the quinoa salad the next day for maximum flavor.
I think you and your guests will love this recipe! And if you don’t have a party to plan anytime soon, make a batch of this salad for an easy, portable lunch.
Ingredient Notes
- Quinoa – I used white quinoa for this recipe, but you could use red quinoa if you like. This could also be made with rice if you prefer.
- Ham – I like the saltiness of ham in this salad, but you could also use deli turkey or chicken.
- Mustard – I kept it simple with yellow mustard, but if you prefer Dijon mustard, that could also work well.
- Honey – Honey is a great choice for sweetening the dressing, or you could use maple syrup if that’s what you have on hand.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water with a little bit of olive oil. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy and the little ring around the quinoa has loosened.
- Place the dressing ingredients in a glass jar or other container with a lid and shake to mix.
- Place the cooled quinoa, ham, peas, and onions in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing.
- Stir well to mix everything together. Serve with the extra dressing on the side.
Storage
Store leftovers in the refrigerator. They should stay fresh for about 3 days.
I do recommend keeping the extra dressing separate from the salad for the best flavor. Just add more dressing right before you serve the leftovers.
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Recipe
Honey Mustard Quinoa Salad with Ham and Peas.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 4 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 5 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa and place in a pot along with two cups water and the ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and the little ring around the quinoa loosens.
- While the quinoa cools, mix up the dressing. Place the mustard, honey, white vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a glass jar with a lid and shake to combine.
- Put the cooled quinoa, onion, ham, and peas in a large bowl and mix together.
- Add half of the dressing and stir to coat all ingredients.
- Serve with more dressing on the side. Store leftover salad and dressing separately in the refrigerator so that you can add more dressing the next day for more flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
This post is part of my series: 31 Days of Gluten, Dairy, and Egg Free Soups, Salads, Sides & Sweets.Â
D
This is my very favorite salad!
Beth
We are following a gluten, dairy, and sugar free diet. This was delicious served over a salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers! Then we added the extra dressing! Yummy!! Great way to use leftover Easter ham :)
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven
This quinoa looks totally gorgeous, Kelly! Honey mustard dressing is one of my favorites. :)
Kelly
Thanks, Sarah!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
Your honey mustard dressing sounds delicious! This would be a great dish to make with leftover christmas ham.
Kelly
Good idea, Natalie! I always have a ton of ham left over!
Lisa Howard
This sounds/looks DELISH! Of course, I am a huge fan of honey mustard. The turkey, cheese and spinach combo sounds really good too!
Kelly
Thank you so much, Lisa! :)