Broccoli Crunch Salad

The funny thing about not having traveled anywhere in nearly a year is that even the most ordinary of excursions would be a thrill right now.

I’d give anything to spend a morning at the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany, wandering the aisles, loading up on bulk-food essentials, sipping an apple zinger, a freshly squeezed ginger-spiked juice (costing a small fortune).

Or to pop into Nora’s for labneh and pomegranate molasses or any of the homemade Armenian food the owners have prepared that morning and so generously will sample should you show a whisper of interest. Once, while eyeing an enormous bowl filled with an enticing red paste, my stares were answered: You want muhammara? Come. I’ll show you.

Or to cruise the aisles of the Asian Supermarket filling my cart with bags of baby bok choy, giant bundles of scallions, frozen udon noodles, and tins of Korean double hot tuna .

In pre-Covid times, this sort of shopping was my favorite pastime, my therapy, outings that always left me feeling rejuvenated, inspired.

Recently I’ve been reminiscing about another favorite grocery store, Byerlys, in my husband’s hometown in Minnesota. Partially carpeted — how warm? how welcoming? — Byerlys introduced me to what a grocery store could be, not only a place to buy groceries but dinner, too: fully prepared meals, delicious soups and salads, all packed and ready to go.

Can I tell you the best part though? After you paid for your groceries, you left them there! Then you walked to your car and drove to a designated location where someone loaded them into your trunk! This all sounds almost normal given the times, but back then it felt revolutionary.

One of my favorite salads from Byerlys was loaded with broccoli, sunflower seeds, raisins, and bacon. Ben’s mom always picked up several quarts of it before we headed off to the lake for the weekend. Oh, Friends, what a dream?! Carpeted grocery stores! Deli salads! Trips to a lake!

Will we ever get there again?

About This Broccoli Salad

Inspired by the Byerlys Sunny Broccoli Salad, this one differs in a few ways:

1. Blanched broccoli. I don’t mind a raw broccoli salad, but I prefer broccoli that’s been briefly blanched: here, I dunk the broccoli into boiling, salted water; then immediately remove it. This step not only takes that raw edge off the broccoli but also transforms its hue from muted to bright green.
2. No stem left behind. Here, I use the whole head of broccoli: the florets are broken into small pieces; the tender stems sliced into rounds; the tough stalks grated into fine shreds. It’s all so delicious. (Video guidance provided below)
3. I’ve added quinoa. You can definitely make this salad without the quinoa, but I find its addition bulks it up. I love using red quinoa for the pops of color it adds. I boil it “pasta-style” in the same pot the broccoli has quickly blanched in.
4. No bacon . There’s so much flavor going on here, adding bacon is unnecessary. I don’t think you’ll miss it.
5. Different dressing. The Byerlys broccoli salad dressing recipe calls for mayonnaise, but I’ve used my favorite “coleslaw” dressing in its place: 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt. It’s delicious, and if you’ve never made it, I can’t recommend it enough the next time you find yourself needing to make a slaw . It couldn’t be simpler either. If you are looking to avoid dairy, here are four other dressings you could make in its place:

• Large-Batch Shallot Vinaigrette
• Large-Batch Tahini Dressing
• Spicy Cashew Dressing
• Miso-Carrot Dressing

This salad holds up well in the fridge, so if you’re looking for something to make on the weekend to pack up for lunches for the week ahead, look no further. These quart containers are great for that purpose.

Here’s the play-by-play:

How to Make Broccoli Crunch Salad

Gather your ingredients. The crunchy elements in this salad include toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and the broccoli itself.

Chop the florets and tender stems into small pieces.

Grate the tough stalks into fine shreds.

Thinly slice some scallions.

Blanch the broccoli: submerge it into boiling water; then remove it immediately.

Boil the quinoa immediately after the broccoli is removed.

Combine all of the ingredients.

Make the dressing: whisk together sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, sugar, and salt.

Toss everything together.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or stash away in storage containers for the future.

Description

This broccoli salad is inspired by the broccoli salad served at Byerlys, a grocery store in my husband’s hometown in Minnesota, many years ago. It’s loaded with almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and quinoa. It keeps well in the fridge for days, so don’t be ahead to make it ahead of time.

The dressing here is a buttermilk-sour cream dressing, my favorite for a classic coleslaw. If you are avoiding dairy, this salad would be great with any of these four dressings:

• Large-Batch Shallot Vinaigrette

• Large-Batch Tahini Dressing

• Spicy Cashew Dressing

• Miso-Carrot Dressing

• kosher salt

• 2 lbs. broccoli

• 1/2 cup quinoa

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and green parts

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Have a large sheet pan nearby as well as a slotted spoon or spider.
2. Meanwhile, prep the broccoli: trim off the tough bottom end and discard. Cut away the florets. Cut the florets into small-ish pieces (about an inch) — think about the size you would want if you were stabbing it with a fork. Cut tender stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. For any remaining tough stalks, trim away the outer layer with a paring knife or a peeler. Grate the stalk on a box grater. (Find video guidance here or below for prepping the broccoli.)
3. Dump the broccoli into the simmering water. Submerge it with your spoon. As soon as it’s submerged (this should take no more than 10 seconds), transfer it to the sheet pan with your slotted spoon or spider.
4. Return the pot of water to a simmer. Add the quinoa and boil for 12-15 minutes or until you see the white tail begin to pop from the kernels. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve.
5. Meanwhile: toast the almonds stovetop in a small skillet over low heat until evenly golden.
6. Prepare the dressing: In a very large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
7. To the bowl with the dressing: Add the blanched, cooled broccoli, the toasted almonds, the sliced scallions, cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Toss to combine. When the quinoa is cooked and drained, add it to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste. Adjust with salt if necessary.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Description

This broccoli salad is inspired by the broccoli salad served at Byerlys, a grocery store in my husband’s hometown in Minnesota, many years ago. It’s loaded with almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and quinoa. It keeps well in the fridge for days, so don’t be ahead to make it ahead of time.

The dressing here is a buttermilk-sour cream dressing, my favorite for a classic coleslaw. If you are avoiding dairy, this salad would be great with any of these four dressings:

• Large-Batch Shallot Vinaigrette

• Large-Batch Tahini Dressing

• Spicy Cashew Dressing

• Miso-Carrot Dressing

• kosher salt

• 2 lbs. broccoli

• 1/2 cup quinoa

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and green parts

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Have a large sheet pan nearby as well as a slotted spoon or spider.
2. Meanwhile, prep the broccoli: trim off the tough bottom end and discard. Cut away the florets. Cut the florets into small-ish pieces (about an inch) — think about the size you would want if you were stabbing it with a fork. Cut tender stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. For any remaining tough stalks, trim away the outer layer with a paring knife or a peeler. Grate the stalk on a box grater. (Find video guidance here or below for prepping the broccoli.)
3. Dump the broccoli into the simmering water. Submerge it with your spoon. As soon as it’s submerged (this should take no more than 10 seconds), transfer it to the sheet pan with your slotted spoon or spider.
4. Return the pot of water to a simmer. Add the quinoa and boil for 12-15 minutes or until you see the white tail begin to pop from the kernels. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve.
5. Meanwhile: toast the almonds stovetop in a small skillet over low heat until evenly golden.
6. Prepare the dressing: In a very large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
7. To the bowl with the dressing: Add the blanched, cooled broccoli, the toasted almonds, the sliced scallions, cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Toss to combine. When the quinoa is cooked and drained, add it to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste. Adjust with salt if necessary.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2021/01/29/broccoli-crunch-salad/

I feel about as comfortable making “game day” food as I do about pulling Udon noodles from scratch, which is to say: not very.

But in anticipation of our cozy game day together this year, I thought it might be fun to make some Super Bowl classics, like foods preceded by the word “buffalo” and dips presented in bread bowls. My children thrilled at the latter. (They passed on the buffalo cauliflower ).

This past month, I’ve tried a number of recipes for spinach-artichoke dip, most of which have been delicious, all of which have called for heaps of mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan.

The version I liked best is based on Martha Stewart’s hot crab dip , which calls for sautéing shallots, adding spices, then making a creamy sauce with half and half, cream cheese, and cheddar.

I use this formula here, omitting most of the spices, and using parmesan in place of cheddar. I also use my favorite grilled artichoke hearts from Trader Joe’s, a pantry staple for this recipe , and fresh baby spinach as opposed to frozen (though I’m sure frozen would work just fine here).

The result? Heaven! Rich but not exceedingly so, the flavors of the artichoke hearts and spinach prevailing. With the only prep being to mince shallots, coarsely chop artichoke hearts, and grate parmesan, this dip comes together incredibly quickly, and best of all, you can prep as you go: while the shallots sweat, chop the artichoke hearts; while the cream cheese slowly melts into the simmering half and half, grate the parmesan.

You can serve this dip several ways:

1. Warm, just-cooked, in a serving dish.
2. Broiled in a shallow dish for 2 to 5 minutes, until slightly blistered.
3. In a bread bowl! If you have made my mother’s peasant bread , that’s all you need to know. Watch the video above (or below) for a little more guidance.

Serve it with crackers, chips, fresh bread, or vegetables. Go Team! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

PS: 12+ Favorite Dips for Super Bowl Sunday and Beyond

How to make spinach-artichoke dip

Gather your ingredients: These are the grilled artichoke hearts from Trader Joe’s I love:

Finely dice a shallot or two to yield 1/2 to 1 cup:

Add the shallots to a pot with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt:

Sweat over low heat, covered, for 5 minutes:

Meanwhile coarsely chop the drained artichoke hearts:

Add the artichoke hearts to the pot and cook for 30 seconds:

Add a heap of spinach and a pinch of salt to the pot:

Let cook for a minute undisturbed; then use tongs to help the spinach wilt down.

Add half and half and cream cheese and stir to combine.

Add some parmesan and stir to combine.

You can serve this straight from the pot or …

… transfer the mixture to a small oven-safe dish and …

… broiler it for a few minutes, keeping a close watch:

OR: MAKE A BREAD BOWL 🤗🤗🤗🤗 This is simply one of the peasant bread loaves , innards removed and drizzled with olive oil, the cavity filled with dip, all roasted together for roughly 10 minutes at 450ºF.

Serve with more crackers, chips, or veg!

Description

I love using Trader Joe’s grilled artichoke hearts in this recipe, which are found in the store’s main grocery aisle, as opposed to the refrigerated or freezer aisles. If you can’t find them, use canned, which typically are 14 oz. each. Be sure to drain the can first; then coarsely chop the hearts.

For the dip:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots minced, to yield 1/2 to 1 cup
• salt
• 10 – 14 ounces artichoke hearts, see notes above, I love the grilled artichoke hearts from Trader Joe’s
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup ( 1.3 ounces | 38 g ) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• flaky sea salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

• crackers, bread, chips, vegetables — whatever you like
• to make a bread bowl, follow this peasant bread recipe

1. Place the oil and shallots in a large pot over high heat. Season with a pinch of salt. As soon as the oil and shallots begin to sizzle, give them a stir, turn the heat to low, and cover the pot. Cook 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the artichoke hearts.
3. After 5 minutes, remove the lid from the pot, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and give everything a stir. Turn heat to medium. Add the artichoke hearts and cook 30 seconds.
4. Add all of the spinach and season with a pinch of salt. Let spinach stand undisturbed for about 60 seconds; then use tongs to rearrange the spinach from the bottom of the pot to the top, until it has all wilted down.
5. Add the half and half and bring to a simmer. Add the cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese has melted. Add the parmesan and stir to combine.
6. Taste. Add flaky sea salt to taste until it tastes nicely seasoned — I had a few big pinches. Add pepper to taste if you wish.
7. To finish: transfer dip — or a portion of it — to a small, shallow, oven-safe vessel. Transfer to the broiler for 3 – 5 minutes or until blistered to your liking, keeping a close watch the entire time. Or, make a bread bowl: remove the “innards” from 1 loaf of my mother’s peasant bread recipe, fill the cavity with the spinach artichoke dip, transfer the filled bowl to a sheet pan, nestle the torn bread “innards” all around, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 450ºF for roughly 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Dip
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American