Sweet and Crunchy Carrot and Broccoli Salad
This is not the broccoli salad you were afraid of as a child. You know the one, with raw broccoli, shredded carrots and raisins, all barely discernible, under a thick white coating. First things first: As much as I love my greens, I don’t do raw broccoli because I find it difficult to chew. I prefer mine blanched (surprise, surprise), to soften the bite and mellow out the skunky flavor. Also, I’m passing on the mayonnaise (again, not a surprise) and replacing it with a slightly sweet and smoky tahini date dressing. The result is a pleasantly crunchy salad that is a tiny bit sweet, has a fresh and complex finish and is so much better than the broccoli and carrot salads that were “all you can eat” restaurant mainstays in my youth.
Serves4 as a side
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (55 g) slivered almonds
- 1 pound (455 g) broccoli
- 2 tablespoon (17 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 pound (455 g) carrots, peeled
- 1/4 cup (36 g) raisins
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1/4 cup (10 g) fresh mint, sliced thinly
Smoky Tahini Date Dressing- 6 tablespoon (90 ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
- 3 tablespoon (48 g) sweet white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) date syrup
- 2/3 cup (160 g) tahini
- About 2⁄3 cup (160 ml) cool water
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Spread the slivered almonds evenly on a small sheet pan and toast in the oven until lightly colored and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes.
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Cut the broccoli into 1-inch (2.5-cm) florets. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and then add enough water to fill the bowl 2 inches (2.5 cm) from the rim. In a medium-sized pot, bring 3 quarts (2.8 L) of water and 2 table- spoons (17 g) of kosher salt to a boil. Once the water boils, add the broccoli and cook until bright green (this should happen in less than a minute). Using a spider strainer, remove the broccoli and plunge it into the ice bath. Drain the broccoli, then place it onto a plate lined with a few sheets of paper towels. Gently blot the broccoli dry. Coarsely chop the broccoli into 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) pieces and transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
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Cut the carrots into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces, then place in a food processor. Pulse the carrots until they are chopped coarsely into pieces about the size of a pine nut. Add the chopped carrots to the bowl of broccoli. Finely chop the raisins and add to the bowl.
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, miso paste and date syrup until there are no lumps of miso, then whisk in the tahini. Add the cool water, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, until the dressing is drizzling consistency. Whisk in the smoked paprika.
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Add the toasted almonds along with about 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of the Smoky Tahini Date Dressing, and toss to combine. Season the salad to taste with kosher salt and pepper and add more dressing, if desired. Garnish the salad with the sumac and mint.
Credit:
Reprinted with permission from Salad Whisperer by Sarah Faris. Page Street Publishing Co. 2024. Photo credit: Erika Rojas.