shaved broccoli and kale salad with dijon cider vinaigrette
If you shun salads due to the high lettuce content, shun no more – this Shaved Broccoli and Kale Salad is a chopped up bowl of pure fall joy with 0 gas-emitting romaine.
When mom and I get together it seems my propensity for picky eating as a child crops up in our conversations. I seriously didn’t eat shit, just Frosted Cheerios and steak. My breakfast of choice? Spam, cheesy hashbrowns, buttered raisin toast, and eggs. What in the hell was wrong with me back then?
Granted, I definitely think the general perception and awareness of health has altered in the last 20 years. I grew up with very basic food, often centering on butter and cheese and bread. While I most certainly cook with those ingredients plenty (hello, Roasted Butternut Squash Alla Vodka and Cheese Stuffed Shells from yesterday), I also level the scales with olive oil rather than animal fat, sustainable fish, and big green salads like this one.
Golly shit, though, back then if I ate broccoli without cheese it was a global spectacle. Sometimes I’m glad I’ve gotten older. Then I realize I have to pay my phone bill.
Broc the Boat
Yes, this broccoli combo contains cheese, but a small smattering compared to the half pound we’d plop on our boiled bonanza way back when. Alongside that savory power couple: easy browned butter toasted walnuts, sweet apple, shredded kale, pomegranate seeds, and a warm dijon cider vinaigrette that lightly coats the florets and softens them just enough to slide the bitterness from the raw veggie.
Simply slice up the broccoli florets into even smaller florets, think 1/2 inch in size or less. If disinterested, you can discard the stems entirely, but the larger ones I sliced off the tough exterior and slivered the softer interior to add to the salad.
Then, chop up some Tuscan kale, or your favorite variety otherwise. Add to the bowl with the broccoli.
Toss in some diced apple, grated Parmesan, and pomegranate arils.
That’s Nuts, Bro
Toasted brown butter walnuts are obscenely easy. Obscenely. So easy it’s offensive. Melt some butter in a skillet, throw in the walnuts, and roast until aromatic and darkened all over, about 5 minutes. Watch the nuts so they don’t burst into flames. Just kidding, that won’t happen, but they will burn if not supervised.
Scoop the nuts out of the pan and throw them in the bowl with the rest of the salad.
Ci-dah
Finally, the vinaigrette. The warmth from this dressing is key to softening the temper of the vegetables, and also makes it easy to justify storing leftovers for later since nothing will be too soggy to eat the next day.
I slapped some olive oil into the same skillet I cooked the walnuts. Saute a shallot until soft, then stir in some garlic and dried fennel for a minute or two. Whisk around apple cider, cider vinegar, apple butter, dijon, salt and pepper in the pan until everything is coated.
Pour the vinaigrette into the salad and toss gently. I let the salad sit about 5 minutes before serving, but you can do a little more than that if you wish or just plate portions straightaway. I don’t mind raw broccoli, but if someone does, the short wait time is worth the deepened flavory and reduced crunchiness.
Is that really all? Yup. Glorious, isn’t it? I cooked some quinoa and a salmon burger to eat with the salad for dinner one night, or you could throw in some chicken or tofu and call this two big portions for you and yours.
Whatever you choose, just call it dinner one night, won’t you?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups Tuscan kale, chopped
- 1 apple, diced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
dijon cider vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried fennel
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp apple butter
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli into very small florets, discarding the woody stem. Chop the kale into 1/2 inch or so strips. In a large bowl, add the broccoli and kale, apple, Parmesan, and pomegranate arils.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then toss in the walnuts and toast for 4-5 minutes until golden and very fragrant. Watch closely. Add to the other salad ingredients and toss well until decently distributed.
- In the same skillet, saute the shallot in olive oil for 4-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and fennel for one minute. Swirl the apple cider, cider vinegar, apple butter, dijon, and a pinch of salt and pepper into the pan until combined. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently until everything is well-coated.
