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New York Times Famous Broccoli Salad - with Cumin, Garlic and Sesame

Recipe video above. This is a wildly popular raw Broccoli Salad by Melissa Clark of the New York Times. The red wine vinegar lightly "cooks" the broccoli so it's not as hard as plain raw broccoli, then it's marinated in an intensely flavoured cumin, garlic and sesame infused olive oil. It is unexpectedly good, it's unique, and I keep making it so I wanted to share the recipe.Not a fan of raw broccoli? This probably isn't the dish to convert you, I'll admit. Try instead just lightly steaming the broccoli - it's really worth making just for the dressing!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Marinating
1 hr
Servings: 4 - 5 as a side
Calories: 185 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 500g/1lb broccoli florets , large florets halved or cut into thirds (3 medium or 2 large broccoli heads, 1kg/2lb in total)
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, cider vinegar)
  • 3/4 tsp salt, cooking/kosher (if table salt: 1/2 tsp)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves , finely minced using knife (not crusher)
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds (whole, not powder)
  • 2 tsp sesame oil , roasted (Note 1)
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes / chilli fakes (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. "Cook" raw broccoli: Toss broccoli in red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside 10 minutes - it will lightly pickle, almost "ceviche" the broccoli.
  2. Garlic, spice and oil mix: Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until garlic is light golden. Stir in sesame oil.
  3. Toss broccoli: Immediately pour oil mix over broccoli. Toss very well using a rubber spatula to scrape up all the oil from the side of the bowl.
  4. Marinate: Leave on the counter for at least 1 hour to marinate, or refrigerate for up to 48 hrs (it gets better with time).
  5. Serve at room temp, not cold, for best flavour!

Notes

  • Sesame oil - Toasted sesame oil is brown and has more flavour than un-toasted (which is yellow). The common sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, un-toasted is harder to find.
  • Recipe source - Melissa Clark's Broccoli Salad with Garlic and Sesame recipe for the New York Times. Except I more than halved the oil from 3/4 cup to 1/3 cup which is still plenty. 3/4 cup seems excessive - I don't want my broccoli swimming in oil!
  • I also increased the red wine vinegar from 1 1/2 tsp to 1 tbsp because I think it cuts through the oil and "cooks" the raw broccoli better. I also reduced the salt from 1 tsp to 3/4 tsp (was a tad salty for my taste).
  • Storage -  3 days in the fridge, but be sure to serve at room temperature. If it's an emergency, microwave briefly to take off the fridge-cold edge.
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 185cal (9%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Sodium 384mg (16%) Potassium 341mg (10%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 634IU (13%) Vitamin C 90mg (100%) Calcium 59mg (6%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4- 5 as a side

Amount Per Serving

Calories 185

% Daily Value*

Calories 185cal 9%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 384mg 16%
Potassium 341mg 7%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 634IU 13%
Vitamin C 90mg 100%
Calcium 59mg 6%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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