Winter Broccoli Crunch Salad with Citrus Dressing
User Reviews
5
Winter Broccoli Crunch Salad with Citrus Dressing
Description
The salad’s base of broccoli is blanched briefly to maintain a bright color and crisp texture before cooling in an ice bath. Toasted almonds add nuttiness, while red onion provides sharpness, and dried cherries add sweet-tart bursts. Chopped avocado lends creaminess and richness to the mix.
The citrus dressing incorporates fresh orange juice, yogurt for creaminess, apple cider vinegar for acidity, honey to balance flavors, and minced garlic for pungency, all emulsified with extra virgin olive oil. This dressing complements the salad’s components with brightness and a creamy finish.
This salad is well suited as a cold side dish in winter months, offering a fresh contrast to heavier meals. It can be served immediately after assembling for best texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad
- 6 cups broccoli florets
- ½ cup almonds sliced
- ½ red onion diced
- ⅓ cup dried cherry or dried cranberry
- 1 avocado chopped
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
Creamy Citrus Dressing
- 3 tablespoons orange juice Florida’s Natural® No-Pulp
- 2 tablespoons yogurt plain, Greek
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 garlic minced, clove
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Start by blanching the broccoli. Prepare an ice bath (a large bowl with ice and water).
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are bright green and still crunchy. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them directly in the ice bath to stop cooking. Then, transfer them all to a towel to remove the water. Place all the broccoli florets in a large bowl.
- To toast the almonds, place the almonds in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir the nuts and shake the pan until the almonds toast, about 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t walk away! You don’t want them to burn.
- Make the citrus dressing. Drizzle a few tablespoons of it over the broccoli in the bowl. Toss. Top with the diced red onion, the almonds, the cherries and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Toss together.
- Add the chopped avocado to the bowl. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve immediately.
Creamy Citrus Dressing
- Whisk together the orange juice, yogurt, vinegar, honey, garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil and whisk until the dressing comes together and is creamy and smooth. You can also make this in a small blender!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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