The perfect BBQ side dish, Alton Brown's fresh broccoli salad recipe dresses up raw broccoli with a lemon vinaigrette; a healthy make-ahead option.

Course: Sides & Salads

Keyword: Fresh Broccoli Salad, Make-Ahead, Salads, Sides, Spring, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Fresh Broccoli Salad

Name: Fresh Broccoli Salad
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1 lemon, zested; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; Pinch freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 pound broccoli, florets broken into bite-sized pieces and stems peeled and sliced thinly on a mandoline; 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved; 2/3 cup toasted pecans or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped; 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 50 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Dress up raw broccoli with a flavorful vinaigrette, toasted pecans, and fresh basil in this simple cookout-ready side dish.

Wherever more than seven suburbanites are gathered, there's going to be a crudité platter featuring raw broccoli, which is not something that I, a devout broccoli lover, am ever going to eats. Sure, it's armed with a full complement of vitamins and minerals, but what good is that if you can't choke it down without a tablespoon of ranch dressing?

If you ask me, the best way to make raw broccoli palatable is to think "coleslaw."

This recipe first appeared in Season 11 of Good Eats.

Photo by Lynne Calamia

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1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound broccoli, florets broken into bite-sized pieces and stems peeled and sliced thinly on a mandoline
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup toasted pecans or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Specialized Hardware

Mandoline

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 50 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Procedure

Whisk together the vinegar, zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually add the olive oil, whisking constantly. Add the broccoli and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Stir in the tomatoes, hazelnuts, and basil. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes before serving.