Sometimes I find that if you put Salad at the end of a name people automatically think that its healthy, which is totallynot the case. I must admit that as gross as it is one of my favorite guilty pleasures is Marconi Salad, the most unhealthy thing to eat, but that is for another post. Another one is Broccoli Salad, it really isn’t super healthy when you go pick up a box of it from the deli at the local supermarket, its packed with cheese and ham and mayonnaise not the most nutritious salad. This is salad is a great alternative to this traditional salad and is packed with nutrients and is super colorful for the holidays. Its has a lot of the same ingredients you find in most broccoli salads but this version has more kick and grains to it.
INGREDIENTS:
4 Cups Broccoli
3 Green Onions
1 Granny Smith Apple
1/4 Cup of Dried Cranberries
1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
1/4 Cup Walnuts
1/4 Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Pea Shoots
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Plain Yogurt
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Start off by cleaning your Broccoli by soaking it in a bowl with warm salt water. Then using a cheese grader, grade your apple (with the skin on) and set into a large bowl (you will find that it will begin to brown fairly quickly… thats fine) then thinly slice your green onions. Now in the same bowl measure out your almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and cranberries. Your Broccoli should be clean by this point, give it one last good rinse then in a second bowl begin to cut into small pieces. We are now going to blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes then rinse under cold water. Once drained add to the bowl with the rest of your ingredients and mix well.
In a second bowl add the lemon juice, honey, yogurt, and salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and mix very well and make sure that all the ingredients are covered then add the pea shoots and mix again. (I decided to cut off about 1/2 an inch of the pea shoots stem just to a bit more consistent with the size of my broccoli pieced). Then serve! This dish serves 4-6 people as a side dish.
I am very excited about this recipe, I needed to bring a side dish to a holiday potluck and was asked to bring a salad. I didn’t really feel like bringing a simple mixed green salad with other vegetable. Too basic in my mind. I also wanted to bring something that was festive in color and ingredients. By adding the pea shoots it gives a slight peppery bite to it which I find adds a great flavor.
I think that by removing the traditional ham, cheese, and mayo you will find that there is still a great amount of flavor and crunch with the added seeds and nuts. Also, using honey gives it a sweet flavor that pairs very nicely with the broccoli and the cranberries.
TRY IT!!!!
-Matthew {Season to Taste}