Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- about 6 cups of water
- 1 pound of fresh broccoli crowns, trimmed and broken into similar-sized florets*
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 or 4 shakes of crushed red pepper (if guessing makes you nervous, start with 1/4 teaspoon. You can always add more.)
- 1 tablespoon + 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
- handful of dried cranberries, optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, add water until it looks like you have about 6 cups, or measure it out if you want. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Put it on high, put a lid on, and bring it to a boil.
- While the water boils, trim and break apart the broccoli. Try to make them the same-ish size so that they cook evenly.
- Crush the garlic with the side of a chef's knife, then mince finely. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and mash it all together. (You can use a mortar and pestle for this, or a garlic press. Whatevs. Just get it mashed)
- Place the salted garlic in a small bowl, and then add the red wine vinegar. Add in a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes, and then let that mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the broccoli florets, cover it with a lid, and set a timer for 3 minutes. This is important! Do not cook longer than 3 minutes! They will get mushy and lackluster. Don't sneak a peek in the pot. Just set the timer.
- When the timer goes off, immediately pour the broccoli into a colander in the sink, and let cool a bit.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small heavy frying pan. Add the almonds, and fry until they are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they burn very quickly. Put the almonds on a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with a dash (or 4) of salt. Let almonds cool a few minutes.
- Whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the vinegar-garlic mixture. Stir together the broccoli, feta, and half the almonds in a mixing bowl; add cranberries if you are using them. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve salad while it is hot, with remaining almonds sprinkled over the top.
Notes
* You can use frozen broccoli florets, but only if you must. The sauce still made them taste amazing, but they were slightly mushier than the batch that I made using fresh crowns. Thaw completely before blanching.
This is beautiful! I just made a broccoli salad (I’d never had one before) at my monthly cooking class and it changed my life, as in that’s what I’m preparing for the salad at our Thanksgiving table this year. I can’t wait. I just love toasted slivered almonds and broccoli and feta and cranberries! Basically, loving all of it!
This is beautiful! I just made a broccoli salad (I’d never had one before) at my monthly cooking class and it changed my life, as in that’s what I’m preparing for the salad at our Thanksgiving table this year. I can’t wait. I just love toasted slivered almonds and broccoli and feta and cranberries! Basically, loving all of it!
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