We are a broccoli loving family, so we eat it fairly often. I buy it fresh regularly and we always have some in the freezer. And we are not the only ones. Broccoli is consistently in the top 10 of vegetables bought fresh from year to year. The vegetable originated in Southern Italy. Thomas Jefferson is thought to be the first American to grow broccoli here, when he imported some seeds from Italy to grow in his garden at Monticello. Currently, California grows 90 percent of the broccoli cultivated in the US, although China is the world’s largest producer of the verdant veggie.
Today’s recipe uses grilled broccoli in a refreshing salad. When choosing the broccoli, it is important to look for tight heads, in order to cut the vegetable into steaks. (Fun fact: those little florets are actually buds that bloom into yellow flowers.) We enjoyed this salad along with the Everything Chicken posted late last week. This is a perfect vegetable side dish!
Broccoli, Tomato & Red Onion Salad
Broccoli, Red Onion & Tomato Salad (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 large heads (2 1/2 pounds) broccoli, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick steaks
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt & pepper
- 2 medium red onions, sliced crosswise in 1/2 inch thick slices
- 3 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- crumbled feta cheese, for serving
Prep the broccoli & onion.
Directions:
Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Brush the broccoli steaks with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Grill them, turning once, until they are lightly charred and crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Remove them from the grill and allow them to cool.
Grill the broccoli & red onion.
Meanwhile, brush the red onions with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Grill them over moderately high heat, turning once, until they are lightly charred and softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a work surface, allow them to cool, then cut them into 3/4-inch pieces.
In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, vinegar and a generous pinch of salt. Let them stand for 5 minutes.
Chop the tomatoes and add the red wine vinegar.
Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces.
Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces.
Add the broccoli & red onion to the bowl of tomatoes.
Add the broccoli & red onion to the tomatoes.
Toss it all together and garnish the salad with some crumbled feta, then serve.
A broccoli side salad completes any meal!
Broccoli goes well with Everything! ~Linda
Broccoli, Red Onion & Tomato Salad (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 large heads (2 1/2 pounds) broccoli, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick steaks
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt & pepper
- 2 medium red onions, sliced crosswise in 1/2 inch thick slices
- 3 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- crumbled feta cheese, for serving
Directions:
Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Brush the broccoli steaks with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Grill them, turning once, until they are lightly charred and crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Remove them from the grill and allow them to cool.
Meanwhile, brush the red onions with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Grill them over moderately high heat, turning once, until they are lightly charred and softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a work surface, allow them to cool, then cut them into 3/4-inch pieces.
In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, vinegar and a generous pinch of salt. Let them stand for 5 minutes. Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces. Add the broccoli & red onion to the bowl of tomatoes. Toss it all together and garnish the salad with some crumbled feta, then serve.