US
vegetarian
1
broccoli salad
© David Loftus

broccoli salad

servings
6 as a side
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method


One of the cowgirls I met said she struggled for ideas at mealtimes because the men weren’t overly keen on eating veg. However, she did say one of the things they would eat was broccoli salad. Every diner and restaurant in Cody seemed to have one on the menu, so I created this version, which is absolutely delicious and hits all the right spots. When I cooked it for a group of ranchers there was none left by the end of the night. Success!

Use a small knife to remove the broccoli florets and cut them up into smaller ones. Basically, this is your opportunity to make the broccoli really delicate and more salady-looking, so spend a bit of time doing this. You’ll be left with the stalk, so discard the thick dry base, then cut the remaining stalk in half lengthways and finely slice.

Blanch your broccoli florets and sliced stalks really quickly in boiling salted water for 60 seconds, just long enough to soften the broccoli but still leave it with a bit of a bite. Drain it in a colander, then spread it around a clean tea towel to steam dry (this is important because it will help the dressing cling to the broccoli). Once completely dry, transfer to a serving dish.

Fry the bacon on a medium heat with a small splash of olive oil until crisp and golden, then spoon most of the bacon bits over your broccoli. Any leftover fat in the pan can be used in your salad dressing. Pour it into a mixing bowl with all the other dressing ingredients and whisk.

Add the sliced tomatoes and chopped chives to your broccoli and bacon bits. Dress it all really well, and check the seasoning. If it needs pimping up, add a splash more vinegar. If you’ve got any chive flowers, sprinkle those over the top and serve straight away. It’s beautiful on its own or served next to any grilled or roasted meat or fish.

PS: I also like to toss things like diced feta cheese or chopped fresh chili through this salad. Different-colored cherry tomatoes are really nice too.

Wine suggestion:
Italian white – a Falanghina from the south


Find out more about Jamie’s American Road Trip tv show and Jamie’s America Book

ingredients


• 2 large heads of broccoli
• 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford, finely sliced
• olive oil
• 3 firm red tomatoes, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
• a small bunch of fresh chives (with flowers if you can get them), finely chopped, flowers reserved

For the dressing:
• ½ a clove of garlic, peeled and finely grated
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...
1. by Eno on Sat 12 May 2012 @ 09:14

this salad is so yummy. I've tried this while we had barbecue night and everyone loved it! thanks Jamie, you are brilliant.

2. by vegefarmer on Sun 25 Mar 2012 @ 02:07

dissapointed that no nutrition facts are included in this receipe

3. by Shell on Fri 13 Jan 2012 @ 13:02

This should not be found under the heading "Vegetarian Recipes" as it clearly isn't - it contains BACON!!!!

4. by Olie on Wed 28 Dec 2011 @ 10:53

I made this as part of Christmas lunch and my guests loved it. Location:Lagos, Nigeria.

5. by Cati on Tue 29 Nov 2011 @ 09:20

I cook this salad at least once a week. Since I'm a vegetarian, I don't use the bacon grease on the dressing and I leave it in a bowl for people to serve themselves. Instead of bacon I use goat cheese or some other kind of cheese (i.e. feta cheese) and it's super tasty. Everyone here loves it.

6. by kerry on Wed 16 Nov 2011 @ 09:05

Um, vegetarian? When did a pig become a plant? Looks great apart from this though! Thanks for thinking it up

7. by AshleyPDX on Sun 30 Oct 2011 @ 17:06

I added a diced shallot, and 1 cup of frozen peas for more veg (or fresh if you can get them). I put the broccoli in just raw too. I always add 3/4 cup of extra sharp cheddar. Everyone tends to eat more when there's cheese on anything.

8. by dilli on Thu 20 Oct 2011 @ 10:37

really nice food to cook with chef jamie!

9. by Jmh57 on Sun 25 Sep 2011 @ 10:31

This is listed under vegetarian dishes ??????

10. by m on Mon 05 Sep 2011 @ 15:49

People were fighting over who got to take the leftovers home. Delicious and nutritious. It's perfect. Do take the time slicing the florets, it makes a world of difference. Thanks, Jamie.

11. by Rachna on Thu 21 Apr 2011 @ 11:49

I steam the brocolli rather than blanch it to maintain the nutrients and taste - this can either be done in a steamer or more simply by placing the brocolli in a pan with 1-2 ounces of water and cooking covered over a low heat for a few minutes ;-)

12. by Karen on Sun 10 Apr 2011 @ 15:04

I was away on holiday and looking for a different salad recipe to serve with barbecued food.<br /> it was superb - everyone loved it and were asking me for the recipe.<br /> I will definitely do this again.

13. by stageone on Sun 18 Jul 2010 @ 14:49

This side is delicous. Had everyone asking for seconds, which doesn't happen often with broccoli.

14. by Alex Clark on Mon 12 Oct 2009 @ 11:44

Did this as a side-dish to the Cajun dirty rice dish in the same book. It's really nice. Thought I'd give it a try as it was a bit different - really enjoyed it. The dressing really soaks into the mini-florets of brocoli.

15. by jamie-lea kellow on Tue 06 Oct 2009 @ 10:31

hi i am in secondary school (year 9) and i have to pick a dish to make next wednesday but i need the infomation tommorrow i decided to do italian food because it is my fav food if it isn't waisting your time then can you please email me some family recipes that only take about 1-1 1/2 hours to make then that would be fab don't worry if you cannot
thankyou for your time jamie-lea kellow

16. by David Richards on Fri 02 Oct 2009 @ 20:09

this salad is so tasty. Quick to do and is not expensive to do. great dish...top notch.

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