Andrea’s Broccoli Apple Salad
My sister-in-law made her version of this delicious salad for my daughter’s graduation party. We were having so much fun in the kitchen while preparing all the dishes for the buffet, came up with new ideas, sampled and tested each other’s creations, and admired grandma’s awesome chopping skills. With this recipe I wanted to bring back those memories of good times. Even though I adapted it, I somehow still consider this Andrea’s salad.
Ingredients:
- 1 generous lb (500 g) broccoli, cleaned, stem peeled, and finely chopped
- 2 flavorful medium size apples, not too tart (I used Jonathan), cored and finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stem, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil for skillet
- 1/2 cup (70 g) pine nuts
for the dressing:
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) white balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt (go slow first, you can always add more)
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Prepare your veggies and apples and transfer them into a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Preheat a skillet on medium high, add olive oil and pine nuts, and roast them until they turn golden brown. This won’t take long, so stay with them and stir frequently. Add dressing and pine nuts to the salad and toss thoroughly until everything is well combined. You can eat it right away or chill for a while. It tastes at least as good the next day.
Notes:
- This salad is perfect for a party or pot-luck dinner. The good thing is that it can be made ahead of time.
- You could swap pine nuts for sunflower seeds or pecans, but it will lose its very distinctive taste.
- If you like dried fruit on your salad, you could add some dried cherries or cranberries.
- As you can see in my serving suggestion, I loved this salad with spicy arugula, avocado, and some parsley. Please let me know what you came up with!
