I’m not sure if creamy broccoli salad is a thing that everyone knows about, but I had it for the first time last year. It’s one of those things that is so simple, but always ends with us standing over the bowl finishing it after dinner. A great way to get the most out of a broccoli crown! We actually made two different broccoli salads in the farm kitchen this week, this and another version with fennel. We’re pretty excited about the first broccoli harvest! This is from one very large head of broccoli, I chopped the florets and all of the stalks into small bite size pieces by hand, and I also tested out the chopping blade on the food processor. Both are very easy.
There aren’t a lot of ingredients to mess with, and once the chopping is done this is very easy to make. If I’m out of buttermilk for the dressing, I just use milk curdled with 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar. It’s a great substitute in any recipe that calls for vinegar. The original for this recipe uses cranberries and almonds. I’m using currants, and I’ve also used raisins. Sunflower seeds or any nut or seed can be used in place of the almonds.
Place the broccoli, almonds, and raisins in a large bowl. I like to put the onions right into the dressing. It mellows the flavor out, but if you love raw onion then put them in the bowl with the other ingredients. I like the dressing to be tangier, so I add dijon mustard and lemon if I have it. If you prefer it sweeter than leave out the mustard.
Broccoli Salad
1 large or two small heads of broccoli
1/2 small red or yellow onion
1/3 cup raisins, currants, or dried cranberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds or sunflower seeds
1/2 cup shaken buttermilk (or 1/2 cup whole milk + 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar, maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey)
Finely chop the broccoli and onion. Place the broccoli, nuts, and dried fruit in a large mixing bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients and onions, then toss the salad together.
