Suddenly, I’m In The Mood For Broccoli
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My mom makes a version of the broccoli salad below that is out of this world (much like the headwear above!), but it includes cheese and store-bought mayo, and that’s a giant no-no. So… I did a little dino-chow revamp on Mom’s recipe and voila!…
Salty Sweet Broccoli Salad
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions:
1. Cook and crumble the bacon. My preferred method is oven-frying: preheat to 350, bake the bacon in a single layer for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it!
2. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets, then peel and dice the stalks. Mix with the bacon, onion, raisins, pecans, and crumbled bacon. *NOTE: If you have thyroid issues like I do – or raw broccoli is too much for your digestive system to handle – you can blanch the broccoli to make it easier on your body. Bring a big pot of sea-salted water to a boil, drop in the broccoli stalks for about 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water ’til they’re cool. Bingo! Friendlier broccoli. (More on blanching here.)
3. Blend the mayo with the vinegar until smooth, pour over the broccoli, and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pile this on a plate next to grilled meat – revel in the yum-factor. Ponder your ability to make a hat from the remaining broccoli stalks and crown yourself Queen Cruciferous or King Kale.
21 Responses to “Suddenly, I’m In The Mood For Broccoli”
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I'm just curious – have your doctors ever said to avoid broccoli (and other veggies) due to goitrogens that are bad for the thyroid?
My doctor didn't tell me to, but I have read some stuff about it online. That's why I only eat cruciferous veggies if they've been cooked — hence the blanching instructions. I don't know personally if it makes a difference or not, but I'd rather take the extra step with cooking and then not worry about it.
That sounds like a really great and easy recipe.
Should have posted this sooner and I could have had a new halloween costume — King Kale sounds like a good fit for me.
Thanks for the idea, I'll have to try blanching the broccoli. I had basically given up on it because it makes me ill nearly every single time.
The stalk is my very favorite part of broccoli! Cool to see that someone else thinks so too (it's just a *itch to peel).
Looking forward to making this.
Richard –> OMG. King Kale would be an awesome Halloween costume… 2011!
Liz –> You might want to blanch it even a little longer if broccoli traditionally gives you trouble — maybe 4 minutes.
Morten –> Let me know how you like the salad. And I agree: the stalks are yummo!
Melissa- This is a wonderful recipe. Thank you for the post. I DETEST the flavor of broccoli, but I find creative ways to incorporate it into my food because of the high magnesium content, which my body likes.
DagneyTaggert –> Let me know if you try it! I hope it cures your broccoli hate.
Morten – if you like the stalks of broccoli, than you've GOT to try "Broccoli Slaw"! I buy mine in a bag in the produce dept. It's basically just shredded broccoli stalks, carrots, and red cabbage – I stir fry some in some coconut oil and top w/ poached eggs almost every single morning for breakfast – YUM!
Okay – sorry to hijack the comment Melissa!
But THANK YOU for this awesome looking Broccoli Recipe! I'm going to add it to my Christmas Paleo Feast Menu
Annnd. . .I'm REALLY looking forward to possibly meeting you next month at the W9 Seminar in Houston – I'm having all kinds of crazy thyroid issues myself, and reading some of your blog posts, I feel like "oh my God – this girl is inside my head. . .how did she get in my head??? . . freaky!" Maybe we can compare notes on anticdotal stuff we've each found and of course yummy Paleo Recipes! (For the time being, I think I'll follow your lead on the cruciferous veggie front. . . can't hurt to try, right?)
Christie! I can't wait to meet you in Houston! And yes, we can definitely talk thyroid. Boo and yay!
Hope you like the broccoli salad. The original called for sugar, too, but I think the raisins add enough sweetness for us clean eaters.
They make this at the deli by my house but instead of raisins they use red grapes! Soooo good!
Just an update – I made this as part of my Christmas Day Feast, and it was to die for! Definitely no need for added sugar – the rains did the trick
Melissa,
I made this salad last night, swapping out raisins for dried cranberries and pecans for walnuts. I also added a diced Anjou pear for a bit more sweetness – the red onion was a bit overpowering at first bite. Delicious!
Thanks for your continually delicious recipes!
Brittany –> Your mods sound really yummy. Nice options! And the pear was a stroke of genius!
I can’t have mayo (no egg). Any suggestions for a substitute?
I would ditch the idea of creamy and go with a lemony vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoon extra-vigin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt & pepper
Should be good!
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Made this yesterday and it was yummy – thanks!!! I’m excited to make it again!
This recipe is genius. I normally don’t eat broccoli because it upsets my stomach, plus, I usually can’t find a way to cook it that I want to eat it. THIS however is so yummy! I’ve also found that taking digestive enzymes, along with blanching my broccoli helps with digestion.
Made this w/ sliced almonds instead of pecans because that’s what I had on hand, and I LOVED it! Great recipe! I’m definitely bringing this to my next pot luck!
Yum! I made it with dried cranberries (sweetened, so not paleo, but I can’t bear to throw them out and haven’t found any takers for them yet) and sunflower seeds. Loved it. Also made it using your mayo, which I have had great success with, I usually make a double batch of it so I don’t have to make it every week.
Made this today to bring to an afternoon Fall BBQ that consisted of filet mignon and HUGE dayboat scallops. I doubled the recipe and added apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and used salt pork instead of bacon since it was sugar-free and nitrate-free and I’m doing a Whole30 (got it from Whole Foods and it is sold as a thick slab so I just sliced into thin strips like bacon). I also used a whole bunch of shallots that I got from my CSA yesterday and really liked that they didn’t have as much “bite” as red onion does. I thought the raisins added just the right amount of sweetness which was a nice counter-balance to the salty and nutty flavors going on. I think next time I might try sunflower seeds (although I did really like the pecans) and might even add some of the fat from the salt pork and just a bit less mayo. SO good! It was a hit and I was the only Paleo eater there