It’s the first full week of January so it’s time to put down those Christmas cookies and return to healthier eating habits. Quick and easy, this salad of crisp tender broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes is a good way to incorporate some great tasting vegetables into your dinner and diet. Broccoli is low in calories(30 calories in a cup) and high in fiber, potassium and iron. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamins A and B6.
To blanch or not to blanch broccoli is a personal choice. I am not a fan of raw broccoli in a salad ( or anywhere for that matter) so I prefer the quickest blanching possible. I blanch broccoli for less than minute and immediately after draining, transfer to an ice bath to chill. The broccoli turns a bright green and will leave it crisp-tender without the harshness of raw broccoli. To prevent a soggy salad, dry the broccoli well, give the broccoli florets a spin in a salad spinner, then blot dry with a clean kitchen towel.
I chose an easy lemon tahini dressing for the salad. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds and oil. In the jar they separate, leaving a very thick paste on the bottom and the oil rises to the top. Use a small whisk or a spoon to recombine the paste and oil.Now you can combine all the ingredients for the dressing. The mixture will thicken, don’t worry about this. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time and whisking well after each addition until desired consistency. Drizzle dressing over the ingredients, and toss to coat. Salad will be best if allowed to rest for at least an hour. Store leftovers in fridge.
Broccoli Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Feta
Serves four
Ingredients for Salad
- 6-8 cups of broccoli florets raw or blanched, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½c chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- ½c crumbled feta cheese
- ¼c toasted pine nuts (can substitute walnuts)
- Tahini dressing (recipe follows)
Tahini Dressing
Ingredients for dressing
- ¼ c tahini
- 2 T to ¼ c water (to thin out dressing)
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
- 1 T honey
- ¼ t smoked paprika (more if desired)
- ½ t cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions for the tahini dressing and salad assembly
- Add tahini to a medium bowl along with lemon juice, honey, smoked paprika and cumin. Whisk together until combined. Taste and add salt and pepper. Thin the dressing out to a pouring consistency.
- In a medium bowl combine the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, feta and pine nuts. Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss well.
- Let the salad rest for an hour to combine flavors. Store leftovers in the fridge.
