Rejuvenating Winter Broccoli Salad.

Rejuvenating Winter Broccoli Salad, aka the prettiest salad…ever. Everyone needs a bright and colorful recipe for a cheerful winter meal. This is a great broccoli salad recipe as a main course or side dish. I hope you enjoy this delicious mix of seasonal winter flavor with a pop of color to remind you spring is only a season away!

Ingredients

• Broccoli florets (small florets or large)
• Tuscan kale 
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Garlic 
• Toasted sesame oil 
• Lemon 
• Low sodium soy sauce or Tamari 
• Honey 
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes 
• Large carrots 
• Bell peppers
•  Fresh cilantro 
• Pomegranate 
• Blood orange or grapefruit 
• Avocado 
• Toasted sesame seeds
• If you like nuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts would be a great addition to this salad.  Other toppings that could be added include dried cranberries, raisins, red onion, scallions, or sunflower seeds. You can always get creative with your favorite ingredients in salads!

It was only just yesterday that I talked about my love for winter color. So I just had to share with you this amazing salad! I love its deliciousness, but I think I might just love its pretty colors even more.

The one thing I always say is that people eat with their eyes first, and trust me, just looking at this salad will make you want it. If you’re feeling bored with your usual salads, this salad is sure to liven things up. You’ll find yourself actually craving this salad. I know, I know, right. Craving a salad? Too good to be true?

NOPE.

I promise not only is this salad pretty, it also tastes incredible. The whole family…while the whole family minus the two pickiest brothers who do not eat “green trees” (that’s what they call broccoli)…all agreed that this salad was one of the best ever. It’s basically a flavor bomb, health bomb, and color bomb, and you know…I think you guys are going to love it.

If you didn’t already know, broccoli is one of my very favorite vegetables, I eat it just about every day. I almost always roast it in the oven, however, recently I was craving a little bit of a switch up from my go-to roasted broccoli. I remembered back to when I was a kid and my dad used to serve me raw broccoli when making his nightly salads. He’d simply toss the florets in a little vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and I loved it.

This got me thinking about new ways to use my favorite veggie. So I began to build this salad out of the contents of my refrigerator produce drawer and my pantry shelves. Wow, honestly, if there was ever an extra healthy salad to love and crave, this has got to be it. And you know, that’s saying a lot coming from a girl who thinks a cheese-less salad is the most boring thing in the world.

Yes, even though this salad has zero cheese, I still LOVE it. Of course, you could always add a little crumbled feta or goat cheese and you know I’d be down with that too.

Actually, you should just do that…

Step by Step Guide

Step One

First, in a large bowl, toss together the broccoli and kale.

The base of the salad is raw broccoli and kale. Now I know that may not sound so scrumptious to some, but hear me out. The broccoli and kale are marinated in a garlic, ginger, sesame, olive dressing situation. That marination helps to break down and soften the veggies, almost as if they had been cooked. This dressing is honestly the secret to the salad’s delicious flavor. It’s poured over the veggies while still warm, infusing them with the most amazing citrusy, gingery flavor.

Also included in this bowl of goodness is kale, bell peppers, carrots, avocado, some winter citrus, and pomegranates.

Step Two

In a medium skillet, combine the olive oil, garlic, and ginger over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil, lemon juice and zest, soy sauce, honey, and a large pinch of red pepper flakes. 

Step Three

Pour the warm dressing over the broccoli and kale, massaging it into the greens. Add the carrots, bell peppers, cilantro, basil, and pomegranate arils, and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt. If time allows, let the salad sit 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge to allow the salad to marinate. 

Step Four

Just before serving, add the orange and avocado. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. 

Side Note: someone recently took the time to write me a rather long message about how my use of pomegranates truly annoyed them. They rather rudely suggested that I stop adding them to my recipes. My response? Yeah, right…I love pomegranates. If you don’t, that’s totally fine, just leave them out of the recipe. I mean, that’s easy enough, right? I’m feeling as though their insulting message may have just made me want to use pomegranates even more. So guys, here I go with another recipe that includes pomegranates…

This is actually one of those rare salads that gets better as it sits. It’s perfect for making the night before and packing up to take to work for lunch. If you let the salad sit longer than a day or so, some water might form in the bottom of the bowl, but just drain it off and all is good.

Also, if you’re looking for a way to get in more greens at breakfast, I’m loving this salad topped with a fried egg and served with a side of toast. Perfect quick and easy breakfast…or lunch…or dinner.

Be sure to post pictures of your rendition of this recipe on social media! I love seeing everyone’s colorful recipes on Instagram and Facebook. Hope you enjoy!!

Eating the rainbow and loving every bite.