Description
Charred broccoli salad with spinach, crunchy vegetables, seeds, dried fruits and a middle-eastern lemon yogurt dressing that brings everything into harmony. A warm-meets-cool winter salad that’s even better the next day.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Charred Broccoli Salad
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups raw spinach
- 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds and or pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
- Fresh mint or parsley, one small handful, chopped
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- Lemon Yogurt Dressing
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 lemon, juiced (option: finish with the zest)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint or cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 425°f (220°c) or heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Toss the broccoli generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for fifteen minutes, turn, roast about 10 – 15 minutes – or pan-char until deeply golden and just tender.
- Make your dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients until smooth and balanced.
- Allow broccoli to cool on the sheet or in a bowl until just warm – not hot.
- Add spinach, red pepper, red onion, and carrots to charred broccoli. Gently toss so the warm olive oil lightly coats and begins to soften the vegetables, without wilting them.
- Add your crunchy and sweet toppings; dried fruits, seeds, and nuts, and ‘scramble’ lightly on the top of the salad with your hands, so they don’t sink to the bottom. Then add fresh mint and lemon zest if you like.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad. Do not toss. Serve extra dressing on the side. If you fully dress this salad it will wilt. So if you know you’re going to have leftovers, or if your prepping for lunch.
Notes
Resist the urge to toss this like a composed, fully dressed salad. It muddies the colour and makes it look pasty. You want all that beautiful colour, because we eat with our eyes first. Tasting good, job one. LOOKING good, job two.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: North American
