Last month, while reminiscing about grocery shopping and specifically about a broccoli salad from a favorite market in Minnesota, I found myself scouring Pinterest for broccoli salad recipes.
A few caught my eye, namely one from The Modern Proper, for its likeness to the Byerly’s salad I so adore. And a few others did as well: one speckled with farro and feta from Walder Wellness; another with cheddar and sunflower seeds from Cookie & Kate; and another with tamari-roasted almonds from Love and Lemons.
1. Charred Broccoli Chopped Salad
This chopped salad is dressed in an addictive, spicy cashew dressing that comes together in no time: all of the ingredients — cashews, rice vinegar, honey, oil, fish sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic — get thrown into a food processor at once. While it’s whirling, you stream in water, and depending on how much you add, you can use the resulting emulsion as either a dip or dressing.
2. Charred Broccoli Salad with Almonds & Dates
In this Carla Lalli Music recipe, halved broccoli heads sear stovetop for five minutes on one side and one to two on the other. The result is firm stalks with tender, charred florets. When you first taste this salad, you may find it sturdier than you are used to. But as you continue to eat it, which I suggest you do with a fork and knife, I think you’ll find the texture surprisingly nice, a refreshing change from fork-tender broccoli.
3. Broiled Broccoli Chopped Salad with Tahini Dressing
I make this tahini salad dressing in huge batches because it is so tasty and keeps well for weeks: it’s got a nutty, earthy flavor as well as great acidity and heat, too. This dressing is inspired by the cashew dressing noted above, but this one is vegan.
4. Raw Broccoli, Cauliflower & Pepita Salad
This salad is inspired by one made at Pizza Buono, a favorite local spot. It’s raw. It’s vegan. It’s gluten- and nut-free. And it happens to be delicious. Who would suspect that raw, shaved broccoli and cauliflower would pair so nicely with sesame seeds and pepitas? I add a little heat (jalapeño and red pepper flakes), sliced scallions, red onion, and a little dried fruit (dates) for a touch of sweetness. This recipe yields an enormous salad, more than enough for one dinner and lunch the following two days.
5. Cabbage and Broccoli Slaw with Miso-Carrot Dressing
This recipe employs a cabbage-salting technique I learned from The Slanted Door cookbook. It’s a simple process: Place cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with a small handful of salt, and massage it into the cabbage. Let stand for 15 minutes, then rinse in cold water.
Salting the cabbage draws out some of its moisture, which allows it to better soak up the dressing. It also softens the shreds, which makes it easier to eat. This slaw contains scallions, toasted almonds, and pumpkin seeds, and it’s dressed in a very light, miso-carrot dressing. You can use shredded broccoli or cauliflower in this salad.
6. Broccoli Crunch Salad
This is my latest, favorite creation: quickly blanched broccoli — florets + stems — dressed in my favorite coleslaw dressing, a mix of buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, salt and sugar. The addition of quinoa bulks it up, and lots of toasted nuts, seeds, and dried fruit give it the loveliest crunch.
7. Roasted Broccoli Salad with Cranberry, Farro, and Fetafrom Walder Wellness
This roasted broccoli salad is dressed with a simple oregano and red wine vinaigrette, and it’s mixed with farro, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta — looks and sounds so good!
Image via Walder Wellness
8. Love & Lemons Best Broccoli Salad
In this Love & Lemons salad, broccoli florets are marinated in a creamy, mustardy dressing along with dried cranberries and tamari-roasted almonds. It’s a great packable and portable picnic salad, well suited for make-ahead lunches as well.
Image via Love & Lemons
9. Cookie and Kate’s Favorite Broccoli Salad
In this Cookie + Kate broccoli salad, raw, chopped broccoli is dressed in a honey-mustard vinaigrette, then mixed with toasted sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and cheddar cheese.
Image via Cookie + Kate
10. The Modern Proper’s Broccoli Salad
This cold broccoli salad is studded with crisp bacon, diced red onion and chewy raisins, then tossed in a creamy homemade dressing. As noted above, it reminds me so much of the Byerly’s salad.
Image via The Modern Proper
Description
Adapted from Carla Lalli Music’s Where Cooking Begins
Notes:
As noted in the post above, the broccoli in this salad is pan-seared, which allows the edges to get charred while keeping the stalks/bodies firm. I think you should make the recipe once as directed — the texture may be firmer than you are used to, but I think you’ll find it really nice and refreshing as you eat it. If you find it too firm, next time, sear the broccoli for a longer amount of time on the second side.
I find small heads of broccoli work best for this salad.
This is a salad that can be tailored to your liking. Depending on the size of your dates, you may only need 4 or 5. You may find that the honey is unnecessary given the dates provide a nice sweetness. (I always add the honey.)
If you can’t find Marcona almonds, regular almonds are fine — I’ve been using roasted, salted almonds. Other cheeses could work in place of the cheddar, though the cheddar is really nice.
2 to 3 small broccoli heads, 1.25-1.5 lbs.
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar, such as apple cider or white balsamic, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, plus more to taste
nice flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing
5 to 6 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup salted Marcona (or other) almonds, roughly chopped
2 ounces aged or sharp cheddar, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- Trim woody ends from broccoli stalks, then cut heads away from stems. Peel stems and halve lengthwise. Cut broccoli heads in half through the crown to create two lobes (don’t separate into florets).
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 teaspoons oil to pan. Place broccoli in skillet cut side down. Season all over with salt and pepper to taste. Cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until the undersides are well browned but broccoli is still crunchy — a cake tester should meet firm resistance when inserted into thickest part of stem.
- Turn heads over onto floret size for a minute, just to lightly brown rounded sides, then transfer to a cutting board.
- When cool enough to handle, cut broccoli heads and stems into 1/4-inch (or slightly larger) slices and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the honey. Season generously with sea salt. Toss. Taste. Adjust seasoning with more olive oil, vinegar, and salt to taste — I’ve consistently been adding at least another tablespoon each of oil and vinegar. And I find the broccoli can really handle the sea salt, so don’t be shy — salt till it tastes good.
- Add the almonds and dates and toss again. Add the cheddar and toss one final time. Serve immediately or let stand for hours before serving. This salad gets even better as it sits — the dates, almonds, and cheddar soak up the dressing, while the broccoli remains firm (while also absorbing the flavors of the dressing). This is a salad to be eaten with a knife and fork.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
Description
Adapted from Carla Lalli Music’s Where Cooking Begins
Notes:
As noted in the post above, the broccoli in this salad is pan-seared, which allows the edges to get charred while keeping the stalks/bodies firm. I think you should make the recipe once as directed — the texture may be firmer than you are used to, but I think you’ll find it really nice and refreshing as you eat it. If you find it too firm, next time, sear the broccoli for a longer amount of time on the second side.
I find small heads of broccoli work best for this salad.
This is a salad that can be tailored to your liking. Depending on the size of your dates, you may only need 4 or 5. You may find that the honey is unnecessary given the dates provide a nice sweetness. (I always add the honey.)
If you can’t find Marcona almonds, regular almonds are fine — I’ve been using roasted, salted almonds. Other cheeses could work in place of the cheddar, though the cheddar is really nice.
2 to 3 small broccoli heads, 1.25-1.5 lbs.
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar, such as apple cider or white balsamic, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, plus more to taste
nice flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing
5 to 6 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup salted Marcona (or other) almonds, roughly chopped
2 ounces aged or sharp cheddar, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- Trim woody ends from broccoli stalks, then cut heads away from stems. Peel stems and halve lengthwise. Cut broccoli heads in half through the crown to create two lobes (don’t separate into florets).
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 teaspoons oil to pan. Place broccoli in skillet cut side down. Season all over with salt and pepper to taste. Cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until the undersides are well browned but broccoli is still crunchy — a cake tester should meet firm resistance when inserted into thickest part of stem.
- Turn heads over onto floret size for a minute, just to lightly brown rounded sides, then transfer to a cutting board.
- When cool enough to handle, cut broccoli heads and stems into 1/4-inch (or slightly larger) slices and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the honey. Season generously with sea salt. Toss. Taste. Adjust seasoning with more olive oil, vinegar, and salt to taste — I’ve consistently been adding at least another tablespoon each of oil and vinegar. And I find the broccoli can really handle the sea salt, so don’t be shy — salt till it tastes good.
- Add the almonds and dates and toss again. Add the cheddar and toss one final time. Serve immediately or let stand for hours before serving. This salad gets even better as it sits — the dates, almonds, and cheddar soak up the dressing, while the broccoli remains firm (while also absorbing the flavors of the dressing). This is a salad to be eaten with a knife and fork.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2021/02/11/10-quick-easy-broccoli-salads/
This egg salad sandwich has become a staple not only for its deliciousness but also for the ease in which it comes together. A stovetop steaming method makes for eggs that peel like a dream. And a simple dressing — celery, scallions, mayonnaise, and pickle juice — makes for fast assembly.
This post is about egg salad and about my recent gratitude for it. But before we get there: An Ode to the Scallion.
Long ago as a budding cook, I was taught to prep scallions as such: trim off and discard the hairy end, thinly slice the white and light green parts only, discard the remaining greens.
Imagine my surprise, years later, when the chef I found myself working for at Fork in Philadelphia used every inch of every scallion that entered the building. The hairy stems went into the stockpot. The whites, light greens, and dark greens all were thinly sliced, sometimes on the bias, and used in nearly every salad we made: chicken, potato, grilled mushroom, asparagus-endive, edamame-radish. The scallions provided not only a much welcomed and appetizing color but also: flavor.
And this is what always blows my mind about the scallion: its ability to behave as both allium and herb, its ability to offer both flavor and color.
It’s almost as if when a recipe calls for both red onion and chives or garlic and parsley, you could simply use scallions. Not perfectly, not always, but in a pinch, right? More and more, I use this swap even when I’m not in a pinch.
What’s more, by nature, scallions are very low-maintenance, often very clean (unlike leeks, which could be a scallion’s older, very dirty sibling), but easy to wash if necessary. And unlike onions, garlic, and shallots, all of which require peeling, scallions don’t. The scallion’s small diameter, moreover, makes it very easy to cut, no fancy knife skills required, no extreme concentration demanded.
Scallions for President? Wait! There’s more.
For me, rarely can there be too many scallions. I can’t say the same about onions and garlic. And unlike chives, which seem to start deteriorating as soon as you lift them off the produce shelf, scallions keep well for weeks (as long as you snip away any bands holding the bundle together).
Friends: is there anything not to love about a scallion?
About This Egg Salad…
… where has it been all my life? This obsession all started because my mother asked me on the phone one day: Have you tried steaming your eggs yet? Kenji’s method for steaming hard-boiled eggs is perfect. The shells slip right off.
No, but seriously, for the easy-to-peel benefit, I resisted trying another method, but it turns out — shocker! — my mother was right: Steamed hard-boiled eggs peel like a dream. And though I haven’t timed each method start-to-finish, my hunch is that the stovetop steaming method is even faster than the Instant Pot.
With all of my steamed eggs, I made a somewhat classic egg salad with loads of scallions, a generous amount of diced celery, and a few spoonfuls of mayonnaise. And, inspired by this cashew dressing recipe , which my friend Liane of Foodie Digital introduced me to, I used pickle juice, an underutilized ingredient I always have on hand, as the acid.
You certainly can use vinegar or fresh lemon juice in its place, but there is something really satisfying about dipping a measuring spoon into the pickle jar and extracting the juice — free goodness!
This time of year, when I often feel like an evening taxi driver, ferrying to and from the ice rink, dropping off and retrieving children with each run, I feel so grateful for things like the broccoli salad I obsessed over last month and this egg salad. Knowing that, during these busy few hours, I have a hearty, nourishing, protein-rich salad on hand, which, in the case of the egg salad, I can slather between two slices of bread with a handful of sprouts and call dinner done is immensely comforting.
I hope you find it so, too.
PS: No Tuna “Tuna” Salad (another great salad to have on hand for meals throughout the week.)
How to Make an Egg Salad Sandwich
Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.
Steam eggs for 10 minutes.
Transfer to an ice bath to cool briefly.
Then peel. This method is brilliant: the eggs peel right off.
For the salad, you’ll need to dice 1 stalk of celery, which, depending on its size, will give you a heaping third cup. And you’ll need to slice 4 to 6 scallions, whites and green parts.
Add them to a bowl along with 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 2-3 tablespoons pickle juice.
Stir to combine.
Coarsely chop the eggs and add them to the bowl.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir to combine.
Meanwhile slice some bread. Pictured below is this recipe made with all bread flour.
Top half with egg salad.
Top with sprouts.
Close sandwich. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Equally delicious on the peasant bread :
Description
Notes:
Egg steaming method adapted from J. Kenji Lopez Alt’s The Food Lab . I steam my eggs for 10 minutes as opposed to 12, and I find that to be perfect. It may take some trial and error to get the timing right for you. If you like to use your Instant Pot, here is my Instant Pot hard-boiled egg recipe.
I find 1 large celery stalk yields about a heaping 1/3 cup of diced celery. I use all of it. I like celery. Use more or less to taste.
Pickle Juice: This is a recent discovery and underutilized ingredient in my kitchen. If you don’t have pickled on hand, you can use vinegar or fresh lemon juice in its place. I would start with a tablespoon of vinegar and, if using lemon, maybe 2 teaspoons to start. As always, add more to taste.
6 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup or more diced celery, see notes above
6 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens, see notes above
2 to 3 tablespoons pickle juice, see notes above
sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
For the sandwich:
- 4 slices of bread, such as peasant bread , simple sourdough , gluten-free peasant bread
- a few handfuls of sprouts or tender lettuce such as Boston or Bibb or mesclun
- Place a steamer basket into a large pot. Fill pot with 1 inch of water. Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat. Remove the lid. Carefully place the eggs into the steamer basket. Cover the pot. Steam for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice and cover with water. After the ten minutes. remove the lid, and carefully transfer the eggs to the ice bath.
- Meanwhile: make the dressing. Place the mayonnaise, diced celery, sliced scallions, and 2 tablespoons of pickle juice in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Peel the eggs; then roughly chop them. Add them to the bowl of dressing. Season with a big pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste. Use a large spoon to toss the chopped eggs with the dressing. If you like a more finely chopped egg salad, use the back of a fork to crush the eggs to the desired consistency and texture.
- Taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add another tablespoon of pickle juice if you like a sharper dressing. Add a spoonful more mayonnaise if you like it richer. You can store the egg salad in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- To make the sandwiches: lay the slices of bread on a board. (If the bread isn’t fresh, consider lightly toasting it.) Spoon half the egg salad onto one slice of bread. Spoon the remaining half onto another. (Note: These are large sandwiches. Use less egg salad for a smaller sandwich.) Top the egg salad with sprouts or lettuce. Top with another slice of bread. Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
